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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/25700632">Needed You</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/st4rryeyed/pseuds/st4rryeyed'>st4rryeyed</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Avatar: The Last Airbender</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>1980s AU, Drug Use, F/M, John Hughes Vibes :D, Probably basic, Underage Drinking, but it'll be cute, don't forget your high waisted jeans, grab your simple minds and joy division albums, i love the 80s and zutara, watch some ferris bueller, watch the goonies</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>In-Progress</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-08-04</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-11-23</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-05 08:22:32</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Teen And Up Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>23</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>63,054</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/25700632</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/st4rryeyed/pseuds/st4rryeyed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>zutara and the gaang...but it's the 1980s and it's high school !!! :o</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Katara/Zuko (Avatar), Sokka/Suki (Avatar)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>132</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>314</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>1. Chapter 1</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>helloooo! idrk where this fic is going but it's gonna be a rlly fun 80s high school x zutara fic so pls stick around and i'm sure you'll have some fun !!!  thank you for reading :)</p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>“God! Katara, if you keep staring, he’s going to come over here.” Suki griped at Katara as the pair sat at their lunch table.</p><p>It was 1983, and the bustle of the lunchroom within the public high school was loud and distracting, but it didn’t keep Katara from glancing over at the new boy who had just transferred into the senior class. He sat alone at his table, with a black hood up and a Walkman set fastened to the top of his head.</p><p>“What’s with your fascination anyway? Hello? Katara?” Suki continued to pry, and finally Katara looked over in her direction.</p><p>“Sorry, I don’t know, it looks like he has a scar on his face. He just…I don’t know.” Katara stammered.</p><p>“There’s a rumor…he killed someone.” Suki leaned over and whispered.</p><p>Katara’s eyes grew wide.</p><p>“And…I am…totally…joshing you.” Suki said, manically laughing afterwards.</p><p>“That wasn’t funny, Suki. Oh my gosh, I nearly had a heart attack.” Katara replied, she scowled but shared a chuckle with Suki.</p><p>Katara looked down to her plate, and somehow, the school’s chicken and mashed potatoes looked even more disgusting than usual. She shoved her plate to the side.</p><p>Suki rolled her eyes and rummaged through her purse next to her. After a moment, she plopped down a package of Bottlecap candy in front of Katara.</p><p>“Can’t have you going hungry now, can we?” Suki concluded.</p><p>“Thanks.” Katara smiled.</p><p>As Katara began to unwrap Suki’s sweet treat stash, Jet, her boyfriend, suddenly plopped down next to her and draped an arm across her shoulders.</p><p>“Hey Kat, how’s it going?” Jet said, he reached a couple fingers into the candy packaging and popped a Bottlecap into his mouth.</p><p>“Fine. I’d just appreciate it if you didn’t take my lunch.” Katara responded, she laughed halfheartedly.</p><p>Suki raised her eyebrows at Katara, and she knew exactly what Suki was getting at, and at that, Katara took a deep breath.</p><p>“Jet, can we go for a walk?” Katara inquired, she slowly slid away from under his arm and stood up behind him.</p><p>“Um, sure?” Jet shrugged. He stood and began to walk toward the exit of the cafeteria.</p><p>Katara looked back at Suki who gave her a thumbs up and a wide grin. Katara rolled her eyes playfully as her and Jet walked out of the cafeteria and into the nearly empty hallway.</p><p>“So, I wanted to talk to you…” Katara began, she felt her heart begin to race and she wondered if she should just stop talking all together.</p><p>But she reminded herself that she couldn’t and that this was something that had to be done...it probably should have been done a long time ago.</p><p>“Sure, what about?” Jet replied, he leaned himself against some lockers.</p><p>“I know what happened last Friday night, and…I-I don’t want to be your girlfriend anymore.” Katara said plainly, she stood up straight and took another deep breath in.</p><p>Jet frowned and took a step closer to Katara.</p><p>“I don’t know what the hell you’re talking about.” Jet said, his voice was genuine, but Katara wouldn’t be deceived.</p><p>“Oh my God, Jet. You made out with Izzy! At the party! I saw you!” Katara raised her voice a bit, but she took a step back.</p><p>“Katara, I was drunk—“</p><p>“It doesn’t matter. Are you really that shallow? You think that's an excuse?” Katara clenched her teeth.</p><p>A few students began to flood into the hallways from the cafeteria, and most stopped to observe Katara and Jet’s interaction, which was anything but inconspicuous.</p><p>“We’re done, I’m done. I’m sick of you treating me like shit! I've let you be downright mean to me for too long. You’re a grade-A asshole, you know that?” Katara concluded, she turned around to walk away, but then Jet grabbed her wrist.</p><p>“No, that's now how this works. We’re not done until I say we are.” Jet said, he began to pull her back toward him.</p><p>She wriggled free and turned to him and said,</p><p>“Fuck you.”</p><p>After doing so she walked away, pushing other students who had been observing the argument of her way. She felt tears begin to prick at her eyes but she held them back. She headed toward the backdoors of the school, where she could collect herself by the dumpster and alley near the parking lot. No one usually went there, and there was no way she could go to class after that whole ordeal, let alone have anyone see her like this.</p><p>Katara had never liked Jet all that much, she had thought he was cute and he made an alright boyfriend overall, but his ego only got bigger over time, and Katara knew she would have to break up with him at some point, especially with what transpired that past weekend. Suki had been telling her to break up with him for weeks, so she’s happy she finally plucked up the courage to do so. It needed to be done, and Katara knew that Jet was only going to get worse as time went on. Breaking up with him felt good, but he also hurt her. They’d been dating for a year and she knew she’d trusted him more than she should have.</p><p>Katara slammed the backdoor behind her and leaned her back up against it. She finally let her quiet cries out and she wiped her tears away as soon as they came.</p><p>Katara knew there was nothing wrong with crying, especially when she was hurting, but she still felt so weak.</p><p>“Could you be a little quieter over there? I’m trying to read.” A raspy voice came out of nowhere and nearly frightened Katara.</p><p>She looked over in the direction of the voice, and it was the new boy who she had been glancing at during lunch time. He was sitting on the ground a few feet away from the dumpster and was leaning against the school building. He had a cigarette dangling between his fingers, and an open book sprawled between his two hands. His Walkman headset rested on his neck and clung to the collar of his grey and black plaid flannel. His black hood on his jacket was no longer up, so Katara could see the scar she had observed earlier more clearly.</p><p>She quickly rubbed the remaining tears away from her face and turned toward him.</p><p>“Sorry, I didn’t know anyone else was out here.” Katara replied. She examined the lanky dark haired boy, but he kept his eyes to his book and didn’t reply.</p><p>“You know, most people would ask someone who’s crying if they’re alright.” Katara continued.</p><p>She was intrigued by this boy. He had been at their school nearly three months and didn’t seem to have any friends. His sister, Azula, on the other hand, made friends and gained popularity amongst the senior class rather quickly.</p><p>“Well, sorry to be the bearer of bad news, but I don’t really care why you’re crying.” He replied. He took a long drag of his cigarette shortly after. He still never even glanced at Katara.</p><p>“Alright, well, I’m gonna have to ask you to leave. This has been the spot where I go when I want to be alone for the past three years and I don’t want some cigarette-smoking, insensitive, asshole messing that up. So take your book and go read somewhere else.” Katara nearly exploded.</p><p>Her temper was short, and she wanted to be alone to recollect herself so she could go to her next class. Knowing the reputation of this boy, he probably would be skipping classes for the rest of the day, so he could easily find somewhere else to be.</p><p>The boy rolled his eyes before closing his book. He walked toward Katara, looked her straight in the eyes, and dropped his cigarette to the ground. He snuffed it out with the bottom of his boot.</p><p>“Happy?” He said wryly.</p><p>Katara rolled her eyes and looked down to the small book dangling in his fingertips.</p><p>“What is it you’re reading, anyway?” Katara pried. She quickly snatched the book from his hands and examined the cover.</p><p>The cover was a scarlet red with no art. Only gold lettering which read “The Catcher in the Rye. By JD Salinger”. The boy briskly took his book back.</p><p>“That’s a classic, hope you’re enjoying it.” Katara said, she gave him a small sarcastic smile.</p><p>“You're a piece of work, aren't you?” He replied, returning the sarcastic smile.</p><p>Katara scrunched her nose,</p><p>“I can be...now please…leave.” Katara gestured her arm toward the door.</p><p>The boy didn’t move.</p><p>She crossed her arms and straightened her posture as he stood tall and mighty in front of her.</p><p>“You know what? On second thought, maybe I will stay out here.” He said, he turned the other way and sat back down in his original spot.</p><p>Katara scoffed and rolled her eyes.</p><p>“Should have expected that. You seem the stubborn type.” She sat down on the ground and leaned her back against the door. She sat a few feet away from the boy. He stuck his nose back into his book as he dug around in his pocket.</p><p><em>This is hopeless</em>, Katara thought.</p><p>There was a moment of silence, and Katara thought she might be able to manage to recollect herself here as long as he stayed quiet and unbothered.</p><p>“I could hear you yelling at Mr. Perfect all the way out here.” The boy with the scar said. He placed a cigarette in his mouth and flicked on his lighter.</p><p>
  <em>Not so quiet anymore.</em>
</p><p>Katara’s heart sank, had she really been yelling that loud?</p><p>“You could?” Katara asked, she turned her head to him.</p><p>He just nodded and kept his eyes glued to the page he was on. Katara groaned and buried her face in her palms.</p><p>“I mean, he is a piece of shit, so I don’t blame you.” The boy said after a moment.</p><p>Katara looked over at him, but he just turned to page of his book.</p><p>“Well thanks, at least I know I have the mysterious new kid who everyone’s a little scared of on my side. You know how many rumors there are about you? You're like a mythical being or something.” Katara said.</p><p>She didn’t know why she was still talking to him, but she couldn’t help continuing to do so. She wondered if anyone in their grade had really talked to him at all. Sure, she thought he might hang out with Azula’s little friends every now and then, but it didn’t seem like he did much socially other than that. And, their class was small, Katara knew just about everything about everyone, so she really wondered about this boy…she didn’t even quite remember his name.</p><p>"Don’t know, don’t care.” He responded. He began to fidget with his lighter, making sparks appear in a second and then disappear the next.</p><p>Katara decided that perhaps if she continued to talk to him and disturb his reading he would leave, so she continued.</p><p>“Well, I think you do care.” Katara said, she surprised herself.</p><p>With that, the boy looked up from his book and maneuvered his gaze toward her. He furrowed his brow.</p><p>“Katara, right?” He inquired, and returned his eyes to his book.</p><p>“Yeah…” She trailed off, “I’ve seen your sister, Azula, at parties before.” </p><p>“Yeah, she would be apart of that crowd.” He scoffed.</p><p>Katara rolled her eyes and glanced to his Walkman cassette player peeking out of his pocket. In black marker written at the top was ‘Zuko’.</p><p>“You’re Zuko.” Katara thought out loud.</p><p>Zuko hummed quietly as to say ‘yes’, but he still wouldn’t look up from his book.</p><p>“What are you doing out here? Don’t you have class or something?” She continued to talk, hoping soon he’d get up to leave.</p><p>“Don’t <em>you</em> have class or something?” Zuko replied, he took a short drag of his cigarette.</p><p>“Ok, ok, touché.” Katara replied, she began to fidget with the silver rings around her small fingers. She adjusted the cuffs at the bottom of her baggy jeans and then concealed her hands into the sleeves of her lavender sweater as the breeze began to pick up.</p><p>“What have you got in your Walkman? Anything good?” Katara inquired. She reached for it sticking out of his jeans pocket but he shoo-ed her hand away.</p><p>“Alright, alright, you win.” Zuko said. He shut his book and put out his cigarette.</p><p>Katara celebrated internally.</p><p>Zuko stood up and Katara followed. She smiled softly and gestured toward the door. Zuko rolled his eyes as he reached for the doorknob.</p><p>“New rule though, whoever comes out here first, gets the spot. So, if I beat you here tomorrow, no yacking and forcing me to leave? Ok, Piece-Of-Work-Katara?” Zuko said, holding the door partially open.</p><p>“I’ll have to think about it.” Katara replied.</p><p>And with that, she shut the door behind Zuko.</p><p>Finally, she was alone.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0002"><h2>2. Chapter 2</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>“Wait, so you like, actually talked to <em>Zuko</em>? Like…had a full conversation? I swear, I’ve never even heard his voice before.” Suki stirred sugar into her coffee.</p>
<p>Suki, Katara, and Sokka sat together at a booth in a diner. The three had decided to grab a quick breakfast before school. This diner, The Dragon Diner, was their spot, they would go there before school, after school, weekends…the entire staff knew them and their orders. Katara knew it would be something she missed when she went off to college in the fall. So many fun memories and countless conversations that she never wanted to forget lied within the walls of the small restaurant nestled between their neighborhood and school.</p>
<p>“Yes, he can speak, believe it or not.” Katara replied, taking a bite of her bacon.</p>
<p>“I would steer clear of him, he seems kind of…I don’t know…” Sokka trailed off.</p>
<p>Suki rolled her eyes.</p>
<p>“Oh come on, Sokka! Katara’s a big girl, did you not see her drag Jet to filth yesterday? Ah, that was beautiful.” Suki smiled wide and took a sip of her coffee.</p>
<p>Katara was still uneasy about her whole interaction with Jet yesterday. To be honest, she was a little afraid of him. When things didn't go his way, he could get ugly. She knew it wasn't within her best interest that their conversation took place in front of a large group of people and that the information spread to the majority of the school. She was just happy it was over though, and that her relationship with Jet had been terminated completely.</p>
<p>“Regardless, there’s nothing wrong with Zuko, he’s completely harmless…I think people have the wrong idea about him. Sure, he’s kind of intimidating but I don’t think he’s this malicious criminal like the rumors people are spreading say. Honestly, maybe he needs some more friends. I was wondering if I should I invite him to the party this weekend…” Katara buried her face in her coffee mug after saying so, preparing for Sokka to go ballistic.</p>
<p>“I for one, think that’s an excellent idea.” Suki said, she took a big bite of her scrambled eggs and glanced over to Sokka.</p>
<p>Sokka looked to Suki who had a stupidly large grin taking up the lower part of her face. Sokka looked to Katara and then back to Suki and laughed.</p>
<p>“Ok, ok, fine!” Sokka said, laughing shortly after.</p>
<p>Katara and Suki gave each other an overly enthusiastic high five.</p>
<p>Iroh, the Dragon Diner’s owner stopped by the table to top off their coffees, and gave a small smirk to the three of them.</p>
<p>“What are we celebrating today?” Iroh asked, chuckling at Suki and Katara’s sudden zealous burst of energy.</p>
<p>“Life, Iroh! Life.” Suki said, raising her mug and clinking it with Katara’s.</p>
<p>“I can get behind that. Just next time, get the tea instead of the coffee. It’s much better for the soul and much more useful than the coffee bean when dictating through this life!” Iroh exclaimed before slipping away.</p>
<p>“I love that man.” Katara concluded, finishing off the food on her plate.</p>
<p>“It’s just gonna be heartbreaking to have to break it to him…” Sokka began, his tone soft as if waiting for a cue to finish.</p>
<p>“Break what to him?” Suki asked, her eyes grew wide and she looked over to Katara who mirrored the anticipation in her eyes.</p>
<p>“That…I hate tea.” Sokka finished, snickering at his own statement.</p>
<p>“Yeah better keep that one to yourself, big bro.” Katara laughed, patting him on the shoulder.</p>
<p>Suki laughed and looked into Sokka’s eyes. She wondered how someone could be so humorous and have such beautiful eyes.</p>
<p>Katara noticed Suki staring and acknowledged the fact that it was more than obvious that Suki had strong feelings for Sokka, that treaded far beyond friendship. Sokka was a little harder to read, since he had just broken up with his ex-girlfriend, Yue. She moved overseas and Sokka still hadn’t quite been himself after their relationship ended last summer.</p>
<p>“Alright, well I gotta go. I’ll see you guys at school.” Sokka said. He patted each Suki and Katara on the head in a playful manner before slipping out of the booth.</p>
<p>He looked back at Suki as he walked away and gave her a soft toothless smile before exiting out the door, the little bell attached to the handle rang behind him.</p>
<p>Suki stared at the door for an extra few seconds after Sokka had left, and when she turned back to Katara, she sat with her eyebrows raised and her chin resting in her palms.</p>
<p>“Oh shut up!” Suki replied to Katara's suggestive expression. Suki laid her face down on the table, defeated. </p>
<p>“Talk to him, please. I get secondhand...whatever the hell that was... whenever I see it.” Katara laughed, as she began to strap her backpack on her shoulders.</p>
<p>“I can’t. We can’t be together. He’s still torn up about Yue. Plus, we’re leaving for college soon so it doesn’t matter.” Suki said. She drank the last few drops of her coffee and stood up from the table with her backpack fastened to her back.</p>
<p>“You’re thinking about it way too much.” Katara stated.</p>
<p>The pair said their goodbye's and thank you’s to Iroh before exiting the diner and beginning their short walk to school.</p>
<p>“You’re one to talk, Katara. You overthink absolutely everything. I’m the reckless, impulsive one, remember?” Suki replied, she kicked pebbles with her Nikes as they walked down the sidewalk.</p>
<p>“You’re reckless and impulsive when it comes to anything but Sokka’s feelings, which is probably a good thing…I don’t know, I just think you guys should at least talk about it. I know he likes you too, he’s just…well…Sokka.” Katara said matter-of-factly.</p>
<p>“When though? When should I talk to him?” Suki asked, she shrugged.</p>
<p>Katara could tell this was something difficult for Suki. She knew Suki had trouble communicating her feelings in general. Katara observed over the years that Sokka was better at explicitly saying how he felt about things and people in general, but after his breakup with Yue, his emotional and communication skills definitely short circuited.</p>
<p>“It’s going to feel uncomfortable, but it’s probably better to talk about how you feel about each other than just say nothing. I say you do it as soon as you can. It’ll make for smooth sailing for the remainder of senior year.” Katara replied.</p>
<p>“I guess you’re right.”</p>
<p>“I always am…aren’t I?”</p>
<p>Suki scoffed, she shoved Katara by the shoulder, causing her to stumble off the sidewalk. Katara chuckled.</p>
<p>“Don’t get too cocky, kiddo.”</p>
<hr/>
<p>As soon as the bell rang for Katara’s free period, she went as fast as she could toward her alley spot. She wanted a place where she could journal and work on homework without being disturbed, and she knew if she wasn’t there before Zuko, he would probably kick her out.</p>
<p>As she opened the door with a creak, she peered out the door, and to her dismay, she saw Zuko sitting exactly where he had been yesterday. It was as if he hadn’t moved, and only his clothes were a slightly different variation. He wore is black jacket over a black and red plaid flannel. He wore jeans with holes in the knees and the same boots he snuffed his cigarettes out with the previous day. A cigarette sat between his pursed lips, and more pages of the scarlet book had been flipped, documenting his progress.</p>
<p>“Damn it.” Katara said, as the door shut behind her.</p>
<p>“Well, if it isn’t the Piece of Work.” Zuko said, staring at the page he was on.</p>
<p>“Sorry, I’m not leaving.” Katara responded. She plopped down next to him and leaned her back against the school building.</p>
<p>She adjusted her black skirt and light blue knee socks as she sat on the cold ground.</p>
<p>Zuko glanced over to her, and scooted in the opposite direction.</p>
<p>Maybe she had sat a little <em>too</em> close.</p>
<p>“We had a<em> deal</em>.” Zuko frowned at her.</p>
<p>“I said I’d think about that <em>deal</em>. I never agreed.” Katara argued, she tucked a piece of her curly thick hair behind her ear.</p>
<p>“You’re really living up to this whole piece of work thing, huh?” Zuko bantered, taking a long drag of his cigarette shortly after.</p>
<p>“Whatever. I have a proposition for you.” Katara said, she turned to him and placed her backpack down next to her.</p>
<p>“Whatever it is, my answer is no.” Zuko said, turning the page of his book. He scratched his forehead with his thumb.</p>
<p>“Ok, well, I’m gonna propose it anyway. So, there is a party this weekend. Sokka, Suki, and I throw parties just about every weekend, and we hold them at this abandoned barn house off kinda by the interstate, and it’s really, really fun. There’ll be <em>good</em> music (none of that shitty Chicago stuff), lights, drinks, people, even some pot if that’s your thing…and I would like you to come. I think it’d be totally cool if you were there. I know Azula has gone before, so maybe you can tag along with her this time?” Katara babbled a bit, and she knew he was probably making fun of her in his head, but she smiled at him anyway.</p>
<p>Zuko suddenly began to laugh. He put his cigarette out and shut his book. He looked over to Katara, small fits of laughter still escaping his lips. Katara’s smile slowly faded away.</p>
<p>
  <em>He had definitely been making fun of her in his head.</em>
</p>
<p>“Listen, I appreciate the offer, Miss Yacks a Lot, but that’s not really <em>my</em> thing.” Zuko said, he looked to her, a smirk pulled at his lips.</p>
<p>“Oh, so having fun isn’t your thing? No wonder you don’t have any friends.” Katara replied, she groaned and stood up.</p>
<p>“You’re a little piece of shit, you know that?” Katara continued, she straightened out the skirt she was wearing and crossed her arms.</p>
<p>Katara knew her comments were harsh but she couldn’t help but feel contempt for him. She honestly felt embarrassed, really it was because maybe Sokka had been right earlier when questioning his character.</p>
<p>Zuko stood up, towering slightly over her.</p>
<p>“Sorry my idea of fun isn’t getting drunk or high off my ass and acting like I’m better than everyone for a night. And for the record, I do have friends, plenty of them.” Zuko retorted, but he knew the last part was a lie.</p>
<p>Katara scoffed, and looked away from the intimidating lurking behind his amber eyes.</p>
<p>“What is your idea of fun then? Skipping classes? Smoking next to a stinky dumpster? Reading classic literature <em>without even</em> annotating?” Katara continued, she felt her face start to get warm.</p>
<p>“No, my idea of fun just isn’t kicking it with shallow high school kids who are full of themselves.” Zuko said, he took a step closer to Katara. She straightened her posture.</p>
<p>“Those are my friends! And they aren’t full of themselves!” She exclaimed, she frowned at him, and the hatred she felt for Zuko only continued to build.</p>
<p>“Oh, like<em> Jet</em>?” Zuko said.</p>
<p>That was it.</p>
<p>“Ugh! You’re despicable. I broke it off with Jet, and you know that! God, why do you even care so much? You know, I was just trying to be nice to you.” Katara said, she paced back and forth for a moment and stopped, she looked Zuko in the face, her cheeks red and her fists clenched.</p>
<p>“I don’t need anyone to be nice to me.” He replied, clenched his jaw.</p>
<p>“Noted.” Katara stated. She picked up her bag from the ground and slung it across her shoulders.</p>
<p>“You may have beat me out here this time, but next time I’ll be here first and I will get this spot.” Katara said, her scowl still present on her face as her hand rested on the doorknob.</p>
<p>“Oh really now?” Zuko crossed his arms and raised his eyebrow, seemingly intrigued by Katara’s burst of anger and determination.</p>
<p>“Yeah. So enjoy it out here...smoke that pack of Marlboros nice and slow, indulge in the last few pages of your book, and listen to that mixtape one last time... because, next time, you’ll have to take your ‘fun’ somewhere else.” Katara said, she began to open the door.</p>
<p>“Fine, whatever.” Zuko responded, looking to her as she opened the door.</p>
<p>“Fine.” Katara repeated.</p>
<p>“Good.”</p>
<p>“Good.”</p>
<p>“Bye.”</p>
<p>“Bye.”</p>
<p>And Katara slammed the door behind her.</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>hello!! thank u for reading :) i hope u all enjoyed! please lmk what u thought of this chapter!! i think i will be posting these chapters more regularly bc im having so much fun writing this!!</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0003"><h2>3. Chapter 3</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>PLS READ: ik originally in the first chapter i established the year as 1983, but I'm gonna just go for ~general 80s~ bc there's certain songs and references that i want to mention from all different years !! heh ok that's it, enjoy!</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>The football team and some of Katara’s close friends had just arrived to the party, the night was still young. Suki stayed near the cooler downing one beer after the next, some of the boys on the football team crowded around her and cheered her on. Katara looked from afar and couldn’t help but smile at her best friend’s antics.</p><p>That night, Katara wore a light blue sweater with a black corduroy skirt she matched it with some chunky black boots and wore mini gold hoops. Her hair was curly and teased in the popular fashion of the time.</p><p>Katara was conversing with some of her friends, over the loudness of the music, with a third drink in hand...when...she saw him.</p><p>He walked through the door of the barn, with one of Azula’s friends latched to his side, Mai, Katara recalled her name. Azula entered behind the pair, with Ty Lee, who was Azula’s best friend and one of the most popular girls in the grade.</p><p>When Katara saw Zuko, she felt sick to her stomach.</p><p><em>What is he doing here?, </em>Katara thought</p><p>She realized she should have revoked his invitation completely after his reaction, he was the last person she wanted here.</p><p>After processing the information, she ended her current conversation abruptly. She pushed by other people at the party in an effort to find Suki.</p><p>Once she found her, hanging out with Sokka and one of his friends, she pulled her away.</p><p>“Suki, we have a problem.” Katara said, she clenched her teeth before taking a big gulp of her drink.</p><p>Suki was already tipsy, maybe even a little on the drunker side.</p><p>“W-What i-is it?” Suki stumbled around her words a bit, and it was with that that Katara realized she probably wouldn’t get any good advice or insight from her right now.</p><p>“Zuko’s here. He fucking came.” Katara replied.</p><p>Suki’s eyes grew wide.</p><p>“Oh my god…” She trailed off.</p><p>Katara sighed, maybe she would have some advice. I mean, Katara assumed she should probably just ignore him right? Or maybe kick him out?</p><p>“…you should totally d-dance w-with him!” Suki exclaimed, she threw her hands in the air.</p><p>Katara rolled her eyes and took Suki’s cup away from her.</p><p>“Are you insane? He shouldn’t even be here! He’s an asshole, remember?” Katara felt the hatred she had for Zuko return. She couldn’t put a finger on why he bugged her so much.</p><p>Katara poured the remainder of Suki’s drink in her own cup, and threw Suki’s empty drink to the ground.</p><p>“Heyyyyy…” Suki pouted and batted her eyelashes.</p><p>“You’ve had way too much already, and it’s not even 11:00 yet!” Katara said, she frowned at Suki.</p><p>“Such a d-dingus.” Suki burped after, and Katara smiled shortly after.</p><p>Suki staggered away, back toward Sokka. He took her hand into his, and invited her back into the conversation.</p><p>Katara looked down at her drink and took a large sip. She then searched the crowd of people, she was determined to give Zuko a piece of her mind.</p><p>As her eyes scanned the many bodies taking up the space of the old barn, she finally found him, and he stood alone, a Red Solo cup in his hand. Katara approached him.</p><p>“What the hell are you doing here?” She nearly exclaimed. She planted her feet to the ground only a few inches away from him.</p><p>“Look, I didn’t wanna come, my girlfriend dragged me here, ok?” Zuko replied plainly.</p><p>They each had to talk quite loud since the blaring speakers made it hard to hear anything else other than the music.</p><p>“So you’ve stooped to the level of shallow high school kids huh? Just for the night though?” Katara wasn’t afraid to put salt in the wound.</p><p>Zuko scoffed and took a sip from his cup.</p><p>She noticed he had his Walkman still peeking out of his pocket, and his headphones wrapped around his neck, she wondered if he ever took it off. Katara wanted to kick him out, but at the same time she didn’t want to cause a scene. Tonight was for having fun, and she wasn’t gonna let Zuko ruin that.</p><p>“You know what? Stay as long as you want. I don’t care.” Katara concluded. She downed the rest of her drink and threw her arms in the air as she turned the opposite direction.</p><p>Zuko watched her walk away but before he could consume a single thought, an arm slid around his waist. He turned to see it was his girlfriend, Mai.</p><p>“Who was that?” Mai inquired, she took a sip from her beer bottle.</p><p>“No one.” Zuko replied.</p><p>He claimed it was no one, yet his eyes lingered on her as she walked in the opposite direction, and they didn’t leave until her figure disappeared into the crowd.</p><p>“Whatever. Let’s go, I found a spot on the sofa over here.” Mai took Zuko’s hand in hers and guided him through the crowded barn house.</p><p>“This is pretty amazing. You know, what they’ve done with the place.” Zuko said, his eyes scanned the entirety of the barn.</p><p>There were twinkling lights hanging all around, a huge stereo for the music, scattered used furniture, movie posters and concert posters plastered to the walls, and enough room for everyone to fit and dance. Plus, Zuko noted, it was just off the interstate and away from any other houses or people in general, making it difficult for the party to get busted.</p><p>“Yeah, I guess.” Mai halfheartedly agreed.</p><p>Her and Zuko sat down on a sofa pressed up against the wall, it faced the flooded dance floor. Zuko took a sip from his cup and examined the crowd.</p><p>Just as he thought, <em>a bunch of shallow high school kids.</em></p><p>Zuko didn’t hate them, nor did he think he was any better, but he knew the room was filled with dramas, phonies,, and everything in between. He hated high school, and couldn’t wait to get away. He hated it the second he stepped into that God forsaken building three years ago. And, by the end of the school year he would be moving as far away as he could, to get away from his school, and more importantly, his house.</p><p>“I’m bored.” Mai stated.</p><p>“You’re the one who wanted to come to this.” Zuko said, a small smirk pulled at his lips.</p><p>“Hey, I was just tagging along with Azula and Ty Lee.” She replied, she rolled her eyes.</p><p>“Where are they, anyway?” Zuko added.</p><p>“No fucking clue. I should probably go find them.” Mai groaned and stood up from the sofa.</p><p>She drifted away into the sea of people, leaving Zuko alone.</p><p>As he sat, he began to 'people watch'. Zuko liked doing that sometimes, and not in some weird way, more like he took on the role of being an observer, a wallflower. Sometimes he’d make assumptions about people in his head. For example, he saw a certain girl and boy talking on the dance floor, each with a drink in their hand. He made an assumption that they came to this party on a first date, and it looked like it was going well. The boy had his hand on her waist, and she seemed to be laughing at his probably shitty jokes.</p><p>Zuko thought he was right about that one.</p><p>Some people are harder to read, as he had observed from the past. Though, he still believed he was good at reading people, generally.</p><p>Suddenly, the atmosphere of the room took a turn, as the stereo began to play the intro of a popular song from a few years ago, which was ABBA’s Dancing Queen.</p><p>Zuko rolled his eyes.</p><p>He <em>hated</em> this song.</p><p>“I love this song!” He heard a voice exclaim from the dance floor.</p><p>
  <em> Oh God, no wonder she’s a piece of work, she listens to ABBA.</em>
</p><p>Katara ran to the front of the dance floor, pulling Suki and a couple other girls along with her. Katara danced, her small skirt swaying back and forth, her hoop earrings dangled from her ears and her hair bounced with her random movements. She took Suki’s hands into hers and forced her to dance with her.</p><p>Zuko found it quite comical, and he had to make a strong effort to stop himself from smiling at their dynamic.</p><p>Katara twirled Suki around and around, and Suki just went along with it, a deadpan expression on her face.</p><p>“<em>You can dance, you can jive, having the time of your liiiife!</em>” Katara sang it at the top of her lungs, and with that, Zuko knew she was probably drunk.</p><p><em>Piece of work</em>, Zuko thought.</p><hr/><p>As the party came to an end, Katara couldn’t think straight. She was still able to successfully process most of her thoughts, but it took some effort.</p><p>So, as Suki laid on the ground of the nearly empty barn, mumbling about how much she wished she could marry Matt Dillon, Katara had no idea what to do with her.</p><p>“Yes, I know Matt Dillon’s eyes are absolutely dazzling, but we have to go, Suki.” Katara badgered her, and pulled her arms upwards.</p><p>“K-Kataraaaaa…” Suki struggled to speak clearly.</p><p>Katara knew this wasn’t going to be easy, and it was going to be even more difficult because Sokka had left with some of his guy friends hours ago, Katara couldn’t care less about whatever shenanigans they had going on, but she told Sokka she would find a ride. But she never did, and now it was too late.</p><p>Most of her friends left an hour or so ago, and the thought of asking for a ride slipped her mind. On top of that, to make the situation worse, the only people left at the party for a potential ride were some juniors she had never even spoken to and…</p><p>“Need a hand?”</p><p>Katara looked up, to see Zuko. She rolled her eyes and let go of Suki’s arms, Suki dropped to the ground.</p><p>“No, actually. I-I don’t.” Katara stammered, and she was embarrassed about it as soon as it happened.</p><p>“You’re not driving, right?” Zuko asked, he squinted and into Katara’s eyes, seemingly examining her sobriety, or lack thereof.</p><p>Katara groaned.</p><p>“Well, I can’t drive. And, even if I could I don’t have a car.” Katara replied passively.</p><p>She focused again on getting Suki to stand up, and to try to speak in coherent sentences.</p><p>“I can give you guys a ride home. I’m sober.” Zuko stated.</p><p>Katara didn’t want to give Zuko the satisfaction, or any more of her time in general.</p><p>“Don’t you have a girlfriend to drive home?” Katara continued to struggle with her friend in her arms.</p><p>“She left with Azula and Ty Lee awhile ago…Here.” Zuko replied, he put his arm around Suki’s waist and draped one of her arms around his shoulder.</p><p>“Heyyyy!” Katara frowned as Zuko took control.</p><p>“How do I know you’re not drunk? I can't just take your word for it. I-I saw you drinking earlier. And, look! You have a cup in your hand r-right now.”</p><p>Zuko taking them home was the last thing Katara wanted, and she hated that it might be their only option.</p><p>“I don’t drink.” Zuko put plainly.</p><p>Katara scoffed.</p><p>“Then what is that?” She snatched the cup away from him.</p><p>She placed her nose at its rim and was surprised to smell no traces of alcohol.</p><p>“H2O.” Zuko replied.</p><p>“A-Are you M-Matt D-Dillon?” Suki stuttered, and looked up to Zuko.</p><p>He shook his head.</p><p>Katara stood, slightly dumbfounded at her discovery in Zuko’s cup.</p><p>“Why don’t you dr—“</p><p>“Let’s just go, it’s getting late.” Zuko didn’t let her finish.</p><p>He helped Suki walk to the barn exit, and a few feet further where he had parked his old white Buick. He opened the back door and placed Suki inside where she laid down across the entire backseat.</p><p>Katara approached the car with reluctance, but she realized she didn’t really have much of a choice in the matter. She needed to get home, and so did Suki.</p><p>As she opened the back door and saw Suki sprawled across the back, she moaned.</p><p>“Suki, move over.” Katara demanded, but Suki huffed in response, indicating she definitely wouldn’t be moving.</p><p>“You know, Katara, you can just sit in the front seat.” Zuko added, looking to her from the driver’s seat.</p><p>Katara slammed the back door shut, and plopped down in the front seat. She crossed her arms.</p><p>“Alright, where am I going?” Zuko inquired as he started his engine.</p><p>Katara looked out her window as he began to drive, and gave him vague directions to Suki’s house that she believed he could manage with.</p><p>The car was silent as Zuko began to drove, but that changed when Suki sat up from the back seat and leaned forward between the passenger and driver seat.</p><p>“K-Katara…who…is…this…” Suki did an awful job at whispering.</p><p>“Zuko, from school, remember?” Katara answered plainly. After saying so, she placed her gaze back out the window.</p><p>“Z-Zuko f-from s-chool…can I tell you a s-secret?” Suki said, turning her head to Zuko.</p><p>“Uhh, sure. Knock yourself out.” Zuko replied, his eyes focused on the dimly lit roads.</p><p>“I’m in l-love w-with Sokka.” Suki announced, she threw her arms in the air and plopped back down into the back seat.</p><p>“Oh Suki, be quiet.” Katara said, turning to her friend in the back seat.</p><p>“Zuko! Y-You can’t tell anyone.” Suki said, placing her head back between the two seats.</p><p>“You’re secret’s safe with me, Suki.” Zuko responded dryly, his eyes still never left the street.</p><p>“As you can tell she’s a little…”</p><p>“Shit faced.” Zuko finished Katara’s statement.</p><p>Katara felt herself have to hold back a smile from his tone, it was kind of funny, but again, she wasn’t going to give Zuko the satisfaction.</p><p>The car came to a stop as Zuko arrived at Suki’s house.</p><p>Katara helped Suki out of the car and escorted her into her home, even making sure that she made it to her bedroom. After seeing that Suki was safe and sound, she exited the house and locked the door behind her, making sure to be extra quiet. She then tip toed back to Zuko’s car and buckled herself into the front seat.</p><p>“Make it in ok?” Zuko asked, as he put his car into drive.</p><p>“Yeah,” Katara replied, “You’ll take this street until there's a turn and then, take a right and then left.”</p><p>Zuko nodded shortly after, leaving the car silent.</p><p>Katara stared out her window as the moving houses and light posts passed. She also observed that Zuko’s car smelled a lot like him. It must be a cologne he wears, it smelled clean and a little earthy.</p><p>It smelled, <em>good</em>.</p><p>But Katara pushed that thought away immediately.</p><p>She couldn’t even look at him, she didn’t want to look at him. She was embarrassed, and she hated that he had ‘won’.</p><p>But, little did Katara know, Zuko didn’t care about ‘winning’. He saw her in need and helped out. To be honest, Zuko couldn’t careless about the alley spot, what he did realize he cared about was Katara, oddly enough, but more importantly, he cared about what she thought of him.</p><p>And he hoped that she might think of him a little differently after that night.</p><p>Zuko took the right, and then a left, and stopped in front of Katara’s house. Katara unbuckled her seatbelt and placed her hand on the door handle, but before she opened it, she turned to Zuko.</p><p>“Thanks, Zuko.” She said.</p><p>Zuko only got a glance of her deep blue eyes before she turned and slipped out the door, shutting it behind her.</p><p>He didn’t even get a chance to reply.</p><p>He watched as she walked up to her house’s side door.</p><p>“You’re welcome.” He sighed to himself, knowing she wouldn’t even hear him.</p><p>As soon as he saw Katara enter her house, he put his car into drive once more to transport himself home.</p><p>As he drove, he couldn’t help but think of Katara. He realized that she was one of those people…one of those <em>few</em> people that he couldn’t read very well. And, he really wanted to be able to read her, to <em>know </em>her.</p><p>This challenge frustrated him. He felt like he could read almost anyone right off the bat to a certain extent, but Piece of Work Katara, he came up absolutely clueless.</p><p>He decided he was determined to figure her out.</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>HEYO thanks so much for reading! lmk your thoughts :')</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0004"><h2>4. Chapter 4</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>It was early Monday morning when Suki and Katara walked to school. They were running a little late for classes, so they decided to not take their usual stop at the diner. Sokka stayed home sick that day,claiming to be ‘exhausted’, but Katara knew it was fake.</p><p>“I swear, he’s gonna pull some Ferris Bueller shit while we’re stuck in school today.” Katara complained as her and Suki made their way down the street of their neighborhood.</p><p>“Probably. We’ll have to see if any of his other friends at school are ‘sick’ today too.” Suki concluded, smiling to herself.</p><p>“Have you talked to him?” Katara noticed Suki's smile and decided to pry.</p><p>Suki’s smile faded shortly after the question, and she just shook her head.</p><p>“You did tell Zuko you were in love with Sokka... Do you remember that? I mean, I know you were pretty gone but-“</p><p>“I did what?!” Suki exclaimed, she stopped in her tracks.</p><p>Katara couldn’t hold back her laughter.</p><p>“Yeah, when he was giving us a ride home you just blurted it out, like it was some well known fact.” Katara continued, her laughter only got louder.</p><p>“I’m such an idiot! God, and I don’t even know Zuko, he probably thinks I’m some freak-a-zoid now.” Suki replied, she buried her face into her hands.</p><p>“Hey, it’s ok. I don’t think he really cared that much. And, it’s not like he’s gonna tell anyone what you said.” Katara comforted. She placed her hand on Suki’s shoulder.</p><p>“You’re right, you’re right. You know, that Zuko guy seems…alright.” Suki mused, the pair began walking again.</p><p>Katara felt her heart flutter, she didn’t know how to feel about him, and honestly, she thought it might be a good idea to talk about these inconclusive feelings with Suki.</p><p>“I don’t know. He was such a heartless asshole the other day at school, and then, at the party it was like…I don’t know.” Katara made sure to reiterate her ‘I don’t know’ thought twice.</p><p>“That was really sweet of him to take us home even though he barely knows us. I don’t know another guy in our grade who would do that. It was really considerate.” Suki stated.</p><p>Katara just nodded.</p><p>“Too bad he has a girlfriend, I was gonna say you should totally go for him.” Suki said, her tone was quick, and Katara almost didn’t catch exactly what she had said.</p><p>“Suki! There’s no way I’d ever like him like that. Plus, after the whole thing with Jet, I don’t know if I even want to think about having another boyfriend right now.” Katara replied, she furrowed her brow and looked to the ground.</p><p>Suddenly, the sound of small wheels against concrete approached Suki and Katara, the noise was accompanied by a small voice,</p><p>“Hi Katara!”</p><p>Suki and Katara turned to see Aang, a sophomore at their school. He was riding his skateboard down the street.</p><p>“Oh, hi Aang.” Katara replied.</p><p>He skateboarded slowly next to the pair as they continued to walk.</p><p>“Did I overhear the word 'boyfriend'? You’re not getting back together with Jet, are you?” Aang decided to pry, like he always did.</p><p>Aang and Katara were neighbors and had been their whole lives. He was almost like a little brother to her, she helped him get adjusted into high school when he was a freshman, and used to watch out for him when his guardian, Gyatso, wasn’t around. She loved Aang, but this past year or so, he really didn’t hold back when trying to find out stuff about her personal life. Sometimes, she wished he wouldn’t be so nosy. It felt exactly like having a little brother.</p><p>“She’s actually thinking of dating Zuko.” Suki replied, she gave Katara a big toothy smile.</p><p>“Suki! I am not!” Katara would not have it.</p><p>“ZUKO?! The big senior guy with the scar across half his face? No way.” Aang frowned.</p><p>Katara was unsettled with this response.</p><p>“He’s…he’s not bad, Aang. He’s actually…ok. But, I’m not interested in dating him, and even if I was, he has a girlfriend so it wouldn’t even matter.” Katara tucked a piece of hair behind her ear.</p><p>“I don’t know, I’ve heard some pretty wild shit about that guy. I’d steer clear of him.” Aang put plainly. He looked to the ground and focused on staying balanced his board.</p><p>“You’ve probably only heard rumors. Don’t you have somewhere to be? Where’s Toph?” Katara said, her patience notably growing smaller by the second.</p><p>“Yeah, I guess she’s probably waiting for me. See ya.” And with that, Aang whooshed away, almost like he was one with the air around him.</p><p>“You know, one day you’re gonna break his heart into a million teeny tiny pieces. He has a huge crush on you. You <em>could</em> be easier on the kid.” Suki and Katara came to a stop before they crossed a street.</p><p>“He’ll forget about me. Once I’m away at college I’m sure he’ll find another girl to crush on. He’s so flighty, you know? It’s pure infatuation, since I was the only girl really around him growing up.” Katara explained her thoughts hoping that they were all true.</p><p>“You’re probably right.” Suki concluded.</p><p>The two continued to walk, talking about the party last weekend, their shopping plans later this week, and how good Christian Slater looked in <em>Heathers</em> until they arrived at school. They said their goodbyes and departed toward their first period classes.</p>
<hr/><p>It felt like a broken record, Katara racing to the alley spot as soon as her free period started. Only this time, she was kind of hoping to see Zuko there. As the back door opened and she peeked her head out into the space, she was surprised to see that Zuko wasn’t there.</p><p>She stepped outside and sighed.</p><p>This is what she wanted originally, <em>right</em>? For him to just leave her alone? And, now, it happened, and Katara couldn’t exactly put a finger on why she was so disappointed.</p><p>She sat on the cold concrete and leaned her back against the building. The breeze was cool and it felt good on her warm skin. The wind found its way through the crevices of her denim jacket.</p><p>She opened her backpack and took out her journal, she planned to document moments of her life inside.</p><p>As she began to write her first sentence, she heard the door creak open. She turned her head, and it was him.</p><p>Zuko.</p><p>“You beat me.” Zuko couldn’t hold back the smug smile on his face.</p><p>Katara smiled wide.</p><p>“I did.” She nodded proudly.</p><p>“Well, I’ll just, uh, find somewhere else then.” He replied, he smirk faded and he began to close the door.</p><p>“Wait.”</p><p>Katara surprised herself.</p><p>Zuko peeked his head outside the door once more.</p><p>“You, uh, you can stay out here, if you want. I-I um, kind of owe you one.” Katara had a hard time threading her words together.</p><p>Zuko just nodded and exited the door.</p><p>He said nothing and just plopped down next to her. Katara got a whiff of his cologne and it reminded her of his car the other night. </p><p>She looked away from him and back at her journal, where she continued to write.</p><p>Zuko opened his backpack and got out a book and his pack of cigarettes.</p><p>He opened his book and lit a cigarette. He had a little trouble lighting up since the wind was blowing, but he managed.</p><p>He started to read, and then he spoke, suddenly,</p><p>“You’re awfully quiet.”</p><p>Katara looked up from her journal and turned to him,</p><p>“Uh, I don’t know. Don’t you kinda want the quiet? So you can read?”</p><p>He shrugged.</p><p>“Yeah I guess. I’m just so used to being out here and you never shutting the hell up.” He replied, he took a drag of his cigarette.</p><p>“Hey!” Katara nudged him like she was annoyed, but in reality, she was amused.</p><p>Zuko smiled a little before going back to his book.</p><p>He then took a second to place his headphones over his ears, and he clicked his Walkman on. Katara glanced over at him as he did so.</p><p>“So, uh, what are you listening to?” She inquired.</p><p>“Hmm?” He hummed, placing one of his headphones away from his ear.</p><p>“Oh, I just asked what you were listening to.” Katara repeated her question and then looked away.</p><p>Katara wondered why she felt so nervous.</p><p>“Do you wanna listen? It’s not really like what you played at the party. Not ABBA.” Zuko responded, he took his headphones off of his head.</p><p>“What’s wrong with ABBA?”</p><p>“Nothing.”<span class="Apple-converted-space"> He said quickly.</span></p><p>Zuko held one headphone up to his ear, and then gestured Katara to lean in and listen to the other. She did so, and took the one headphone out of Zuko’s hand. The song continued on.</p><p>
  <em>There's an army on the dance floor</em>
</p><p>
  <em>It's a fashion with a gun my love</em>
</p><p>
  <em>In a room without a door</em>
</p><p>
  <em>A kiss is not enough in</em>
</p><p>
  <em>Love my way, It's a new road</em>
</p><p>
  <em>I follow where my mind goes</em>
</p><p>“Wow this is really good.” Katara mused. She bobbed her head up and down.</p><p>“You like it? It’s Love My Way by the Psychedelic Furs.” Zuko replied.</p><p>“Hell yeah, I love it.” She pressed the speaker closer to her ear.</p><p>
  <em>There's emptiness behind their eyes</em>
</p><p>
  <em>There's dust in all their hearts</em>
</p><p>
  <em>They just want to steal us all</em>
</p><p>
  <em>And take us all apart</em>
</p><p>
  <em>But not in</em>
</p><p>
  <em>Love my way, it's a new road</em>
</p><p>
  <em>I follow where my mind goes</em>
</p><p>“You should bring this tape to the next party. This would be so fun to dance to.” Katara continued, she closed her eyes and listened to the notes of the song intently.</p><p>Zuko stared at her as she listened, no one had ever really taken interest in what he listened to before, seeing Katara enjoy something he loved so much fascinated him, but it didn’t his whole mission of ‘reading’ her thing any easier, honestly, it made it harder.</p><p>When she opened her eyes, Zuko realized he was staring so he flinched away, the movement of the flinch slid Katara’s one headphone away from her.</p><p>“Shit, sorry.” Zuko said, he gave the headphone back to Katara.</p><p>“You’re good.” She chuckled, before pressing the speaker back to her ear.</p><p>The song came to an end and Zuko hit pause on his Walkman.</p><p>“Got anymore we can listen to?” Katara asked, she lowered the headphone from her ear.</p><p>“Yeah, just... some other time.” Zuko replied.</p><p>He took his headset and placed it back onto his neck.</p><p>Zuko was starting to feel a certain way about Katara, and he couldn’t really pinpoint what it exactly was. But, whatever the feeling was, he wanted it gone quickly. He decided if he went back to focus on his book, he could dismiss the feeling and maybe just forget about it completely.</p><p>“Oh, ok.” She sounded disappointed, and Zuko felt his stomach drop at the tone.</p><p>He felt so exposed, no one had ever really listened to his mix tape before.</p><p>He put out his current cigarette and dug around in his pack for another one, Katara glanced at him as he did so.</p><p>“Did you, uh, want one?” Zuko asked.</p><p>He realized Katara was probably the last person in the world to want a cigarette a little too late.</p><p>To Zuko’s surprise, Katara replied,</p><p>“Sure.”</p><p>Katara had never smoked a cigarette in her life, but she wasn’t gonna let him know that.</p><p>Zuko slipped a cigarette out from the box and gave it to her. She rested it between her lips and he lit it up for her. She took a deep inhale and started coughing.</p><p>“You’ve never smoked before, have you?” Zuko asked, he felt a small smile pull at the corner of his lips.</p><p>Katara finished coughing,</p><p>“No, it’s just been awhile, you know, since I’ve had one.” She lied.</p><p>“Oh yeah, ok.” Zuko replied, he returned his glance to his book, the smile still lingered on the corner of his mouth.</p><p>It was quiet for the next few moments, Katara continued to journal taking small drags from her cigarette every once in awhile, and Zuko kept reading, turning a page every minute or so. It was within the stillness of the moment where Zuko felt comfortable, and so did Katara.</p><p>It was a surreal moment for both of them, to be next to someone in complete silence and not feel weird about it at all.</p><p>Katara was the first to break to quiet though,</p><p>“I just wanted to say, thank you, again, for helping Suki and I out the other night.”</p><p>She looked over to Zuko and his eyes slowly rose from the page he was on.</p><p>“It really wasn’t a big deal.” Zuko said in response.</p><p>The two just looked at each other for a moment.</p><p>Katara wondered about Zuko, about him, as a person, what he was like. She had seen so many sides of him in a short period of time, and still wanted to know more.</p><p>“I mean, it kind of was. I should have been smarter, and it was nice, having you there. I don’t know what I would have done without you, to be honest. I know I was stubborn at first.” Katara broke eye contact with Zuko, she took one last drag of her cigarette before putting it out.</p><p>“You had every right to be, I was an asshole before.” Zuko replied.</p><p>Katara scoffed.</p><p>“I mean, you were, but, I don’t know, I should have been nicer to you, since, you know, you were being awfully nice to me.”</p><p>“I don’t need anyone to be nice to me, remember?” He recalled quickly. He looked back down to his book.</p><p>“Whatever. Just…thanks.” Katara concluded.</p><p>Zuko nodded slowly as he read a few more lines of the page he was on.</p><p>There was a short silence until it was interrupted by a giant bang.</p><p>Katara and Zuko looked up and saw a bright red firework cascade across the sky.</p><p>“Um? What the fuck?” Katara stood up, placing her journal back into her backpack. Zuko stood with her, equally intrigued.</p><p>The pair glanced over in the direction it was coming from, and saw five figures in the distance standing in the soccer field. One of the figures started running away from something fast, and then, shortly after, another explosion…this time, numerous multicolored fireworks painted the afternoon sky.</p><p>Katara knew right away what was going on.</p><p>“Sokka! Oh my God.” She crossed her arms and laughed.</p><p>“This is your brother?” Zuko asked, glancing to Katara.</p><p>“He played hooky today. I knew he was gonna pull some Ferris Bueller bullshit.” </p><p>Soon enough, Zuko and Katara heard hollering come from the windows, and a large group of students exited the school from its front doors. They all watched, applauded, and whistled as the fireworks shot into the sky.</p><p>“They’re insane. Man, gotta love high school, I guess.” Katara stated, she began to laugh as more and more fireworks got set off into the sky.</p><p>Zuko gazed at Katara and couldn’t help but admire her laughter, and the way her fragile skin looked under the multicolored light, but he looked away and dismissed that thought quickly.</p><p>
  <em>He couldn’t have a crush on her, he couldn’t.</em>
</p><p>After a few more fireworks were lit, and the cheering and disorganization of students continued, the faculty and staff scrambled outside the school and tried to calm down the pandemonium, but, they were high school kids, no way in hell were they gonna cooperate.</p><p>Katara and Zuko laughed at their struggles from afar.</p><p>Zuko noted this was the first time he genuinely had laughed in awhile. He decided to cherish the moment.</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>thank you for reading!!!! I LOVED THIS CHAPTER I HOPE YOU DID TOO !!! :)</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0005"><h2>5. Chapter 5</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Sokka was suspended, which wasn’t a surprised to Katara. She knew that his antics would lead him into some form of punishment sooner or later. Setting off fireworks on school property during school hours, without permission, and on top of that, ditching classes of his own didn’t look so good. Sokka and Katara’s grandmother, who had been looking after them, was beyond displeased.</p><p>“It’s senior year Gran-Gran, we were just having fun.” Sokka moaned as he shoveled cereal in his mouth.</p><p>“Fun is going to parties on the weekend or sneaking snacks from the Circle K into movies, fun isn’t setting off fireworks on your school’s soccer field! Do you know how dangerous that is? How disrespectful it is to the faculty and staff?” Gran-Gran placed her purse over her shoulder as she scrambled to leave for work.</p><p>Gran-Gran worked as a day time nurse, and she had been caring for Katara and Sokka since they were small. Their mother passed away a few years ago, and their father was in the military, always moving around from place to place, and their father realized that moving his kids around for the majority of their childhood wasn’t fair to them. Thus, they moved in with their grandmother, in their small town, which both Katara and Sokka grew to like. They missed their parents, but enjoyed spending time with their grandma. On the bright side, they did still see their father a few times a year.</p><p>Katara couldn’t help but smile into her juice glass as her grandmother and brother bickered.</p><p>“Sokka, since you’re home, I expect this house to be spotless, shining from top to bottom the moment I get home. I’m taking your car keys. You are staying here the entire day, no exceptions.” Gran-Gran was stern, before slamming the side door behind her.</p><p>Sokka groaned and dramatically sank to the floor from his seat at the kitchen table.</p><p>“Actions do have consequences, you know. You’re eighteen, dingus, you should know that.” Katara smirked as she placed her dishes in the sink.</p><p>“But, it was amazing, wasn’t it? The look on Principal Bumi’s face was just…<em>priceless</em>.”</p><p>Katara thought back to the moment, it <em>was</em> amazing. The chaos of hundreds of students cheering and whistling at the lights in the sky. The flustered looks on all the teachers’ faces, it felt like a movie, something unreal.</p><p>And, on top of that, <em>Zuko</em>…</p><p>“Yeah, yeah, it was pretty cool…but you gotta stop pulling shit like that. You don’t want to get expelled your last year of high school.” Katara dismissed her current thought to contribute to the conversation.</p><p>She then glanced at her watch.</p><p>“Shit! I gotta go, I’m late!” And with that, Katara was out the door...gone.</p><p>And, Sokka? Gran-Gran’s hopes for a spotless home when she returned would most likely be let down.</p>
<hr/><p>As Katara made her way to the back alley doors for her free period, she felt herself actually <em>looking forward</em> to hanging out with Zuko, which was weird in itself. Yesterday had been so surreal, the rainbow sky, and that song he showed her that she couldn’t stop thinking about. She realized she needed to get a tape or even a vinyl with that song on it. She wanted to listen to it over and over. Katara had been planning to go to the music store downtown after school that day to go find it.</p><p>She turned the doorknob and slipped out the back door, to find the space empty.</p><p>
  <em>Oh.</em>
</p><p>The door shut behind her.</p><p>She felt slight disappointment settle in.</p><p>Katara took a seat on the ground and pulled out a history assignment to work on. She decided that he might come a little later, like he did yesterday.</p><p>Katara worked away on her assignment, looking down to her watch every now and then.</p><p><em>So what if he doesn’t come? You don’t care.</em> Katara thought.</p><p>She sighed and continued to work on her homework.</p><p>Minutes continued to pass, and Katara found herself hoping that the door would open and she’d get a sudden whiff of a certain cologne or the peripheral sight of black boots.</p><p>
  <em>Nothing.</em>
</p><p>“I’m so fucking stupid.” She said to herself.</p><p>“Why do I care so much?” She continued, she buried her face into her hands.</p><p>She slammed her textbook shut, and felt frustrated with herself and her feelings. She didn’t care about Zuko, she knew she didn't! She’d only known him for a week, it didn’t matter if he came to the spot or not.</p><p>Hell, she wanted him to stop coming the moment he started, so why was she upset?</p><p>She didn’t know. She didn’t want to know.</p><p>She looked down to her watch once more, and as she did, the bell rang for the next class to start.</p><p>
  <em>He didn’t come.</em>
</p><p>Katara shoved her books and homework into her backpack and placed the straps on her shoulders.</p><p>She continued to tell herself that it didn’t matter and that she didn’t care, because that’s how she wanted to feel, but continuing to tell herself these things didn’t change how she <em>actually</em> felt, and she realized she’ll have to confront how she <em>actually</em> feels about Zuko later on.</p>
<hr/><p>Zuko found himself lost in thought as his eyes scanned all the different vinyls available for purchase. He realized he shouldn’t spend too much money on records and cassettes, but he couldn’t help it, music was his safe haven, his escape, it was something no one could ever take away from him.</p><p>As he continued to browse, he heard the bell at the front door ring, and that’s when he saw her.</p><p>
  <em>Katara.</em>
</p><p>
  <em>Shit! What the hell is she doing here?</em>
</p><p>
  <em>Should I hide? Pretend like I don’t see her? </em>
</p><p>Zuko’s thoughts went into a downward spiral as soon as he glanced over to her.</p><p>He decided to just keep his head down.</p><p>“Oh. Hi Zuko.”</p><p>
  <em>That didn’t work for long.</em>
</p><p>“Hey Katara.” He replied quietly. Zuko kept his eyes on the box of records he was looking through. He couldn’t look at her, he couldn’t.</p><p>“So, I uh, had the alley spot all to myself today.” She continued, Zuko’s heart fluttered at the sound of her voice.</p><p>“Yeah…” He added awkwardly.</p><p>Zuko couldn’t tell her the real reason he wasn’t there. He was avoiding her. He had started to be able to ‘read’ her, and it was within his first few observations that he realized she was the type of person he could <em>fall</em> for. And, he didn’t want it. He didn’t want to feel vulnerable or exposed, he felt enough of that yesterday by merely sharing a song with her on his mixtape. On top of that, things between him and Mai were complicated, and developing feelings for someone else would make it even worse.</p><p>A few days ago, Katara was just one of the ‘shallow high school kids’, but he realized she was different, and he wanted to know her. But, after realizing his potential feelings, he thought it’d be better if he stayed out of her life and that she stayed out of his.</p><p>Conflicts aside, they could never be together, Zuko had concluded.</p><p>She was beautiful, smiling, laughing constantly at life and what it had to offer. He was boring, emotionless unless provoked, and on the verge of losing his mind or breaking down about life and what it had to offer.</p><p>“I…I missed you.”</p><p>Zuko looked up, and gazed at her eyes.</p><p>
  <em>Fuck.</em>
</p><p>“You, uh, you did?” Zuko replied, he felt his palms behind to sweat.</p><p>He returned his glance from her blue eyes back to the records he was browsing.</p><p>“Yeah, I did. I was hoping I could hear more of your mixtape. I couldn’t stop thinking about the song you showed me. It was so good! That’s actually why I’m here, I’m gonna get a cassette with Love My Way on it.” Katara continued, she stood there, fiddling with her thumbs.</p><p>Zuko didn’t know how to reply, he still had Katara saying ‘<em>I missed you</em>’ playing on repeat in his head.</p><p>“Well, sorry. You seem, um, pretty busy, so I’ll just leave you to it then.” Katara spoke quietly, she turned the other way.</p><p>Zuko looked up to the back of her head as soon as she turned.</p><p>Her long brown hair swayed as she began to walk, and her denim jacket and long skirt clung to her as she crossed her arms.</p><p>He felt like shit.</p><p>He turned around and grabbed the Psychedelic Furs cassette from the shelf behind him.</p><p>“Wait, Katara.” Zuko stepped around the vinyl cart and stood behind her.</p><p>She turned around, her blue eyes wide as she anticipated what Zuko had to say.</p><p>“Here’s the uh, tape, with the song on it.”</p><p>He took a step backward as he reached the tape out for her to take. She reached her hand out, and for a second, the tips of her fingers touched his as the cassette exchanged hands.</p><p>“Thanks.” She half smiled.</p><p>Zuko nodded and was about to turn away, but Katara continued.</p><p>“Do you have any other recommendations before I leave?”</p><p>Zuko stopped in his tracks.</p><p>“Have you listened to The Cars before?”</p>
<hr/><p>Katara and Zuko stood in the listening booth Just What I Needed by The Cars began to play. Katara bobbed her head a long to the song, and it reminded Zuko of when he showed her the Psychedelic Furs song yesterday.</p><p>
  <em>You always knew to wear it well and</em>
</p><p>
  <em>You look so fancy I can tell</em>
</p><p>
  <em>I don't mind you hangin' out</em>
</p><p>
  <em>And talkin' in your sleep</em>
</p><p>
  <em>I guess you're just what I needed</em>
</p><p>
  <em>(Just what I needed)</em>
</p><p>
  <em>I needed someone to feed</em>
</p><p>
  <em>I guess you're just what I needed</em>
</p><p>
  <em>(Just what I needed)</em>
</p><p>
  <em>I needed someone to bleed</em>
</p><p>“This is so great! We’ll need to play this at the next party too!” Katara concluded.</p><p>She looked up to Zuko who had already been looking at her, a smile pulled at his lips that he so so hard tried to hold back.</p><p>He just nodded.</p><p>She smiled and hummed along to the song.</p><p>“This would be great to dance to!” Katara said over the music to Zuko.</p><p>He nodded again, this time he didn’t hesitate to hold back his smile.</p><p>As the song came to an end, the pair exited the sound booth, and Katara took the cassette with her. Zuko still said nothing.</p><p>“Are you coming? This weekend? You’ve got to...now we have some cool music to play.”</p><p>“If Mai drags me there again, I’ll probably be there.”</p><p>Katara just nodded.</p><p>“How long have you guys been together?”</p><p>The inquiry made Zuko’s stomach turn.</p><p>“Why does it matter?” He said his initial thought to her question out loud.</p><p>He looked to Katara whose cheeks turned a light shade of red, he felt the same thing happen to him and he looked to the ground.</p><p>“It doesn’t. Christ, Zuko I was just trying to make conversation, it’s not like I’m in love with you or something.”</p><p>
  <em>Oh God, he interpreted it totally wrong.</em>
</p><p>On top of the embarrassment, her response hurt Zuko more than he thought it should.</p><p>“Good.” Was all Zuko said, he was monotone.</p><p>“Good.” Katara replied, mimicking his tone.</p><p>She scoffed, before getting in line to buy her cassette tapes. Zuko stood in line behind her, a few cassettes and a vinyl rested in his hands.</p><p>“Her and my sister have been friends since we were kids, and we kind of just…got together one day.”</p><p>Katara nodded, her response was limited.</p><p>
  <em>Christ, Zuko—It’s not like I’m in love with you or something.</em>
</p><p>The phrase played in his head and he felt his stomach twist as he heard it over and over.</p><p>Why did he even care? He shouldn’t care. He should be glad Katara said that, he knew with everything aside, they couldn’t be together. It was supposed to be simple.</p><p>But that’s the thing, it <em>wasn’t.</em></p>
<hr/><p>Zuko took a drag of his cigarette as he read his book. He pressed his back against the cold bricks of the school building and couldn’t help but feel guilty.</p><p>Guilty for his feelings for Katara, guilty for avoiding her, guilty for staying with Mai when he knows he should have broken up with her a long time ago…</p><p>He sat in the alley spot, hoping Katara would come.</p><p>He placed his Walkman headset on his ears, Love My Way began to play quietly as he continued to smoke and read.</p><p>He’d look up every once in awhile to the door, hoping it would creak open, and that she’d be there.</p><p>He came out to the spot today after the repercussions of yesterday, he realized he shouldn’t push her away, even if he knows deep down that they can’t be together, that doesn’t mean they can’t be friends for the time being. As much as he pushed the feeling away he <em>cared</em> about Katara. He wanted to share the things he enjoyed with her, and talk to her, and…just <em>be</em> with her.</p><p>He wondered if this realization was too late, because the bell rang for her free period to be over, and she never came.</p><p>“So fucking stupid.” Zuko muttered to himself.</p><p>He slammed his book shut and turned his Walkman off.</p><p>He slung his backpack along his shoulders and wonder if he’d ever figure Katara out. Hell, figure his own feelings out, even.</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>oop!</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0006"><h2>6. Chapter 6</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>As Katara and Suki were finishing up setting up for the party in the abandoned barn, Katara thought about Zuko, she wondered if he’d come tonight. She wondered if he did come, what she’d say to him.</p><p>She placed the cassettes she purchased with him the other day next to the stereo. She wondered if it would feel the same listening to them here as it felt listening to them with him.</p><p>She concluded it wouldn’t.</p><p>“You ok, kiddo?” Suki stood next to Katara and placed a hand on her shoulder.</p><p>“No, I’m not ok. I-I think I’m developing feelings for…for…”</p><p>She couldn’t say it.</p><p>“Zuko. You can say it.”</p><p>“No, Suki, I can’t! He has a girlfriend, he avoids me, I’m absolutely nothing like him or the people he hangs out with. How did his even happen? I’m pretty sure he thinks I’m annoying, but I can’t help how I feel. It’s like when I’m with him, I never want to leave him. I think about him 24/7, I just…it’s all a complete mess. You know, I started to avoid him too, because feeling this way is just so aggravating. The last thing I said to him was so passive, and I just feel like…ugh! God, you know what? I just never want to see him again. I can’t do this.” Katara plopped down onto the sofa, she buried her face in her hands. She felt embarrassed that even Suki, her best friend, had to see her this way.</p><p>“Katara.” Suki sat on the couch next to her, she tucked a piece of hair behind Katara’s ear.</p><p>“You like Zuko, right?”</p><p>“Well, it seems pretty obvious.” Katara replied, she sunk back into the couch.</p><p>“Then, hang out with him, have fun with him, don’t let him go. Life’s too short to let go of people you care about or enjoy having around just because you’re scared or it’s too ‘complicated’.” Suki continued.</p><p>“It’s not that easy.”</p><p>“It is that easy. It really is. I promise.”</p><p>Katara looked to Suki with wide eyes and then without hesitation threw her arms around her.</p><p>“Hey, but the second he starts being a dick again, let me know, I’m not afraid to go Suki warrior on his ass.” Suki chuckled as the pair hugged.</p><p>Katara laughed as they pulled away from the embrace, she blinked her potential tears away.</p><p>She loved Suki, <em>so much</em>.</p><p>“So, is tonight the night?” Katara asked, she crossed her arms.</p><p>Suki looked at her with a blank stare.</p><p>“That you talk to Sokka?” Katara clarified.</p><p>“Maybe.” Suki smiled, and it looked promising enough to Katara.</p><p>Katara felt good about the night ahead, and she decided it was going to be fun with or without Zuko.</p><hr/><p>Zuko arrived at the barn late in the night. When he walked through the giant double doors, the barn was packed and it was loud.</p><p>Zuko had come alone.</p><p>Mai, Azula, and Ty Lee had other plans for the night, and Zuko was planning on just staying home, but some part of him decided to attend the party.</p><p>Probably the part of him that cared for Katara.</p><p>However, once he stood in the doorway and saw the overwhelming group of drunk dancing high school kids, he felt his stomach turn and decided maybe it wasn’t such a good idea after all. Before even setting a full foot in the barn, he turned the other way. Maybe no one had even seen him.</p><p>“Wait!”</p><p>
  <em>Shit.</em>
</p><p>“Zuko?”</p><p>He turned around, Katara stood before him, she wore a cropped lavender tank top with a matching mini skirt. There were different neon shapes scattered throughout the clothes acting as an abstract pattern. Zuko noticed that the colors suited her.</p><p>“Uh yeah, hi.” He scratched the back of his head.</p><p>“Listen, I’m sorry about the other day, at the music store. I just, I shouldn’t have been rude. Plus, you and your relationship with your girlfriend isn’t really my business.” Katara said. She looked to the ground and began tracing circles in the dirt with her foot.</p><p>“You don’t have to apologize.”</p><p>“Yeah, I do, I just don’t want things to be awkward between us. I-I really like having you as a friend, Zuko.”</p><p>Zuko felt his heartbeat pick up.</p><p>
  <em>Friend.</em>
</p><p>Katara was a friend. Nothing more, nothing less.</p><p>Zuko didn’t know what to say, so he just gave her a small smile.</p><p>Katara returned the smile.</p><p>They said nothing for a moment, and then a familiar tune began to erupt from the speakers within the barn.</p><p>“Holy shit! They put my tape in!” Katara was ecstatic.</p><p>The intro to Love My Way by The Psychedic Furs began to play at its loudest volume.</p><p>Katara grabbed Zuko by the wrist and guided him into the barn.</p><p>“We have to dance!” Katara exclaimed.</p><p>“No, no, no. I don’t dance.” Zuko replied, he tried to wriggle free of her tight grasp.</p><p>“Come on!” Katara replied.</p><p>Once the pair stood on the dance floor, Katara began to dance, jumping slightly up and down on either foot, and turning around, her hair whirling in different directions with her.</p><p>Zuko stood there awkwardly, and just watched Katara, he smirked at her amateur dance moves.</p><p>She looked absolutely crazy.</p><p>He couldn’t dance, he couldn’t.</p><p>“Zuko, come onnnnn.” Katara took his hands into hers, Zuko was taken aback at her touch and felt heat rise to his cheeks.</p><p>Katara spun Zuko around.</p><p>“There you go, we’ve got some movement going now!” Katara laughed, as she moved her arms with his.</p><p>Katara began singing at the top of her lungs and continuing to dance, Zuko moved with her, but there was no way he was singing along. Katara knew he wouldn’t either, since dancing was already something out of his comfort zone, but she continued.</p><p>“<em>LOVEEE MY WAYYYY IT’S A NEW ROAAD!</em>” Katara felt her throat already becoming scratchy.</p><p>Zuko laughed at how bad her singing voice was, and yet, he felt like he could never get enough of it. He twirled her around and the two danced. Zuko felt like an idiot but he didn’t care.</p><p><em>If Mai saw me right now</em>… Zuko quickly dismissed the thought.</p><p>As the song began to fade out, he felt Katara fall away from his finger tips. He looked over to the side of the dance floor to see she was pulled aside by someone.</p><p>By…<em>Jet</em>.</p><p>Zuko approached them, Jet had his hand clasped around Katara’s wrist.</p><p>“What the hell are you doing here? Get out!” Katara exclaimed, she tried to break free of Jet’s hand, but he held on tight.</p><p>“You’re not all that you think you are, you know that Katara? I can go wherever the hell I want.” Jet replied, he glared at Katara and then glanced over at Zuko.</p><p>Zuko felt his blood begin to boil, he never liked Jet, and he sure as hell didn’t like the way he was treating or talking to Katara.</p><p>“Oh, so you’re spending time it with Silent Scar Face now, huh?” Jet spat.</p><p>“Shut the fuck up, Jet.” Katara replied without hesitation.</p><p>Zuko stayed silent, he knew he could snap Jet like a twig if he wanted to but he didn’t want to cause any trouble. He knew Katara wouldn’t want a scene caused at her party, and some people were already glancing over.</p><p>“Come on Kat, really? This guy? You could do so much better…” Jet rose his eyebrows as Katara struggled. Jet’s friends around him laughed at his comment, and it was then that Zuko couldn’t stay quiet any longer.</p><p>“I think it’s time for you to go.” Zuko intervened, he stepped close to Jet, only an inch or so away from his face. Zuko wrapped his hand around Katara’s forearm gently, and pried Jet’s hand away from her wrist.</p><p>“Wow! He can speak! Got anymore tricks? Can ya sit? Roll over maybe?” Jet laughed, and it made Zuko sick to his stomach.</p><p>“Zuko…” He heard Katara’s voice softly in his ear.</p><p>She stood partially behind him, so she moved so she was beside him.</p><p>“I’m serious Jet, you need to get out of here right now. You’re not welcome here anymore, and you know that.” Katara was stern, and she took a step forward.</p><p>“You’re such a bitch Katara, you always have been, you were <em>such a waste of my time</em>.” Jet smirked while saying these awful things. He didn’t care what he was saying, how he said it, he just wanted to get under Katara’s skin, and he could tell it was working.</p><p>Zuko couldn’t control himself any longer, it was what he said about Katara that sent him to the edge. He could handle slander against himself, but when it was against someone like Katara, someone he cared about, it crossed a line. Within the next second, Zuko gave Jet a hard punch across the face. Jet fell backward and poked at the blood running down from his nose with the tips of his fingers.</p><p>
  <em>Shit.</em>
</p><p>“No, stop, please.” Katara intervened and stood between them.</p><p>Jet shoved her aside to the point where she almost tumbled over.</p><p>“Don’t put a fucking hand on her.” Zuko said, malice consumed his tone.</p><p>Jet pushed Zuko by the shoulders and popped him in the mouth, sending him stumbling backward.</p><p>“Jet, get out! Now!” Katara continued to badger him, even though she knew it wouldn’t work.</p><p>Katara couldn’t stand seeing Zuko like this.</p><p>At this point the majority of the people at the party were glancing over at the fight, and Jet and Zuko wouldn’t stop. Katara was going to try to intervene again, but before she could,</p><p>“What the hell?!” Sokka’s voice erupted out of nowhere as he made his way through the crowd.</p><p>He pulled Jet and Zuko away from each other. He tossed Jet to the ground.</p><p>“Get the fuck out of here, <em>now</em>.” Sokka was scary, and Jet glanced over at Zuko who he had beat up pretty bad. Jet rolled his eyes, as everyone in the barn stared him down. It was then that him and his friends <em>finally</em> left the party.</p><p>Katara kneeled down next to Zuko, who was on the ground.</p><p>“God, Zuko are you insane?!”</p><hr/><p>When Zuko woke up, he was lying down on the ground with Katara sitting beside him, he felt a cold compress against his face, and he realized she was holding a bag of ice there for him.</p><p>“Hey sleepyhead, can you sit up?” Katara spoke, and Zuko stayed silent.</p><p>He pressed his palm slightly against his forehead as he sat up slowly.</p><p>He examined his surroundings and realized they were a few feet away from the barn on the dirt road. It was dark, but dimly lit by the light coming from the party and the shine of the moon and stars.</p><p>“You’re insane, you know that? You were out for like twenty minutes.” Katara said, her hand still rested on the ice pack.</p><p>“You had me terrified in there.” Katara continued, after saying so, Zuko slowly slipped his hand under hers so he could hold the ice pack himself.</p><p>“Yeah, well, your ex-boyfriend’s a real asshole.” Zuko said, his voice slightly hoarse.</p><p>“You didn’t have to do that, I was handling it. God, and those things he said about you? He’s such a fucking douchebag…I didn’t even think about him coming tonight. I’m so stupid, I should have done something to tell him off sooner…and now…you’re hurt and it’s-it’s all my fault.” Katara stood up and paced back and forth.</p><p>“First of all, it’s not your fucking fault, Katara. The guy’s a sociopath. Second, this was worth it, that guy needed someone to beat the shit out of him.” Zuko said, he felt upset that Katara was blaming herself.</p><p>After speaking, he realized he probably shouldn’t be talking so fast, he felt a sharp pain cascade across his cheek.</p><p>“Ow.” He groaned, he pressed the ice pack in the place of discomfort.</p><p>“You alright?” Katara kneeled down next to him, he bright blue eyes stared at him concerningly.</p><p>“Yeah, don’t worry. I’ll be fine. Are-Are you ok?” He asked, he glanced down to her wrist to see where Jet had grabbed her, it was a little red, but nothing too bad.</p><p>He brushed his fingertips along her wrist, but she moved her arm away quickly after he did so.</p><p>“Me?! Are you kidding? I hate to say it, but your face is really going through it right now.” Katara said.</p><p>She took a wet cloth she had with her and started dabbing up blood and grime that had caked onto his face.</p><p>“That bad?”</p><p>“I mean, it’s ok, you look kinda badass, like a Greaser from <em>The Outsiders</em> or some shit.” Katara mused, she half smiled as she continued to press gently.</p><p>Zuko returned the smile.</p><p>“Badass, huh?”</p><p>“Mm-hm.” Katara hummed, her eyes focused on the task at hand and Zuko couldn’t take his eyes off of her. Her nose crinkled when she concentrated, and she had her lips slightly pursed.</p><p>Suddenly, the silence was interrupted as Zuko and Katara heard clapping in the distance. They both turned toward the door way of the barn, to see Sokka clapping slowly, with Suki by his side.</p><p>“My hero! The guy who did what everyone else was scared to do. Revenge. Is. Sweet.” Sokka walked toward Katara and Zuko and he continued to slow clap.</p><p>“He had it coming.” Zuko replied.</p><p>“I just wanna know how it felt, you know, punching him across the face I’m sure it felt—“</p><p>“Sokka.” Katara interrupted.</p><p>“Ok, ok. Sorry.”</p><p>“Thanks for breaking it up and kicking him out properly, Sokka. I was nervous he’d never leave.” Zuko looked to Sokka and then down to his lap.</p><p>“Hey, no problem. You're the one who did all the dirty work.” Sokka said.</p><p>“Yeah, Zuko I’ve wanted to beat his ass for so long. I envy you.” Suki began to clap and she smiled.</p><p>“Yeah I don’t know why Katara even started dating that asswipe—“</p><p>“Sokka.” Katara wouldn’t let him finish.</p><p>“Ok, ok! Christ, Katara. Anyway, you good, Zuko?” Sokka asked, he squatted down on the ground to get a better look at him.</p><p>Sokka observed a couple bruises and a minor black eye.</p><p>“Yeah, I’m fine.” Zuko assured.</p><p>“Alright, well I owe you one. Thanks for looking out for my little sis.” Sokka gave him a small pat on the shoulder.</p><p>Zuko just nodded.</p><p>“Hey Sokka, can I, uh, talk to you?” Suki said quietly.</p><p>Sokka rose his eyebrows and looked a little confused, but, shortly after his cheeks turned a light shade of pink.</p><p>Suki and Sokka walked away, and Katara gave Suki a wink and a thumbs up before the pair disappeared into the barn.</p><p>Zuko smirked at the encounter, knowing after last weekend that Suki was 'in love with' Sokka.</p><p>“Looks like you’re the hero of the town, now.” Katara sat beside Zuko and placed the folded cloth on her lap.</p><p>“No way. I was just standing up for you. Like…any friend would.” Zuko replied.</p><p>Katara looked over at him. He slowly turned his head toward her.</p><p>“Well, I don’t know any friend who would have done…<em>that</em>…for me, so, thank you.” Katara said, her voice was small, almost like she was scared to say it.</p><p>Zuko realized he wanted to be more than a friend, but once that thought crossed his mind, he pushed it away as quickly as he could.</p><p>“No big deal.” Is all Zuko said.</p><p>He looked down away from Katara.</p><p>“I-I should, uh, probably go.” He said, he started to slowly stand up.</p><p>“Are you sure? Are you good to drive and everything? I’m sorry, tonight kind of blows.” Katara stood up with him.</p><p>“Yeah, yeah, don’t worry about me, Katara.”</p><p>Zuko began walking to his car.</p><p>“You have a ride tonight, right?” He turned around.</p><p>“Yeah, don’t worry about me, Zuko.” She said, almost completely mimicking his previous comment.</p><p>He felt a faint smile pull at his lips.</p><p>“Ok, well, thanks…for inviting me tonight.” Zuko said quietly.</p><p>“Thanks for beating an asshole up for me.” Katara responded, she crossed her arms and smiled.</p><p>“My pleasure.”</p><p>He then got in his car, and started it up.</p><p>Katara watched as his car drove away and disappeared in the distance, and she couldn’t stop the thoughts that creeped into her brain about Zuko.<span class="Apple-converted-space"> It was like h</span>er mind tried so hard to decipher how she felt about him, but it was so complicated,<em> too</em> complicated. It gave her a headache.</p><p>But then she remembered what Suki had told her,</p><p>
  <em>"It’s not that easy."</em>
</p><p>
  <em>"It is that easy. It really is."</em>
</p><p>And with that Katara was able to conclude, easy and simple, that she had feelings for Zuko, as much as she tried to push them away. And that those feelings wouldn’t be going away any time soon.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0007"><h2>7. Chapter 7</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Zuko traced the rim of his mug with the edge of his thumb. Mai sat across from him at a cozy green booth within the Dragon Diner. The two had been silent ever since arriving to the restaurant.</p><p>“So, how was your weekend, how was the other night with Azula and Ty Lee?” Zuko decided to speak.</p><p>“Fine, I guess.”</p><p>Zuko clenched his teeth, he knew she wouldn’t want to hear him say it.</p><p>“It just seems like you don’t really want me around as much anymore. I mean, the past few weeks you’ve kind of just—“</p><p>“Not here, Zuko. I don’t want to talk about this.”</p><p>“Well, in order to have a healthy relationship, we have to talk about it. Hell, we should be able to talk about anything with each other.” Zuko sat up straight in his seat and crossed his arms.</p><p>“God, you’re so dramatic.” Mai rolled her eyes as she fidgeted with the frayed edges of her napkin.</p><p>“<em>I’m</em> dramatic?” Zuko retorted, he rose his eyebrows.</p><p>Mai scoffed.</p><p>“Listen, I’ve been thinking, and I know one of the only reasons we got together was because of Azula and Ty Lee. We’ve been friends since I can remember, I don’t know, I just think…it’d be better if we…I mean, we could still be friends…” Zuko was having a hard time putting words together.</p><p>“So you’ve been thinking the only reason we got together was because of Azula and Ty Lee? Not because you had feelings for me?”</p><p>“<em>You</em> know that’s not what I meant. I was just mentioning that as a contributing factor. Hell, if you hadn’t been friends with them I’d never know you. I-I did have feelings for you, but I’m just changing, and it’s obvious you’re changing and I just feel like—“</p><p>“Feel like what?” She rolled her eyes.</p><p>“Well first of all, you don’t even let me finish my fucking thoughts. Do you know how hard this is for me? To communicate when the listener doesn’t even want to hear what I’m trying to say?”</p><p>“I’ll make it easy for you, ok? We’re done.” Mai stood up from her seat.</p><p>Zuko didn’t know how to react.</p><p>“I just think it’s better for the both of us.” He managed to say.</p><p>“Whatever, Zuko...just don’t talk to me for awhile, ok?” Mai replied.</p><p>She turned around sharply, her black leather jacket swaying with her as she made her way to the door.</p><p>“Mai…” Zuko looked back as she exited the door.</p><p>She didn’t turn around.</p><p>Zuko ran his hands through his hair, he knew he could have handled that better.</p><p>“Fucking idiot.” Zuko muttered to himself.</p><p>“Zuko?”</p><p>He looked up from his lap and dropped his hands from his head to see Katara standing at the edge of the table.</p><p>
  <em>What was she doing here?</em>
</p><p>“What are you doing here?” She asked quickly.</p><p>Zuko only shrugged.</p><p>“Well I usually come here for coffee and/or breakfast Monday mornings, and pretty much every other morning, with Suki and Sokka but…” Katara trailed off.</p><p>“Ok can I tell you something? You can’t tell anyone.” Katara smiled, and just slid in the booth to sit across from Zuko.</p><p>Zuko still said nothing, and just nodded. He felt his heartbeat pick up at the fact that Katara was so adamant to tell him something…a secret.</p><p>And then he remembered, they were <em>friends</em>.</p><p>And that’s what<em> friends</em> do, they share secrets with one another.</p><p>“Ok, so, you know when you took Suki and I home the other night? And she was all like ‘I’m in love with Sokka’,” Katara imitated Suki’s drunk voice and facial expressions, which received a halfhearted smile from Zuko.</p><p>Katara continued,</p><p>“well, that wasn’t just the alcohol talking…and so, the other night after you left the party, they talked, like…really talked…about how they feel about each other and now…I’m not exactly sure what was said, but they are absolutely inseparable. I went to a movie with them last night, and it was them— making out, all over each other, hand’s never leaving one another, the entire two hours and ten minutes. I swear I was about ready to turn my popcorn bucket into an upchuck bucket.”</p><p>Zuko rose his eyebrows. No one had ever bothered telling him gossip before, so even though he didn’t care much, about Sokka and Suki’s love life, he was still intrigued. </p><p>“Wow.” Zuko replied, sounding half enthused, he let out a small laugh at Katara’s storytelling skills and general babbling.</p><p>“Yeah, I’m trying to finally get away from the madness, that’s why I’m here, alone, thank God. Where are they? Who knows, probably at our alley spot locking lips and reciting love poems they wrote for each other—Zuko, I’m telling you, in one week, they’ll be back to normal…hopefully. I’m honestly happy for Sokka, I thought he’d never get over Yue, and I mean, she was great and all, but she’s far away now, I think Suki is good for him, too. Plus, Suki is absolutely in love with Sokka as you know.”</p><p>Zuko just stared mindlessly into his coffee mug, he felt comforted that Katara was here, but also still unsettled about his previous conversation he had with Mai.</p><p>On top of that, his feelings for Katara were only getting stronger by the second, he could smell the familiar odor of her hairspray and perfume from across the table and he couldn't help but think about—</p><p>“I’m sorry, I’m definitely oversharing.” Katara interrupted his thoughts. She adjusted herself in her seat and looked down, conspicuously uncomfortable.</p><p>“No, no, Katara it’s not that.” Zuko looked up from his mug suddenly, his golden eyes met hers.</p><p>He blinked.</p><p>“Are you ok?” Katara’s blue eyes grew wide with concern.</p><p>He wondered if he should tell Katara about Mai, she was his friend, and friends talk to each other about their relationships, and problems, and how they’re feeling…<em>right</em>?</p><p>“Your coffee, Miss Katara.”</p><p>Iroh interrupted before Zuko could reply. Iroh placed a mug in front of Katara.</p><p>“Thanks.” She grinned as she took a sip of her coffee.</p><p>Iroh stopped in his tracks as he laid eyes on Zuko.</p><p>“Zuko, you know Katara?” Iroh’s eyes grew wide.</p><p>
  <em>Uncle.</em>
</p><p>Zuko felt the potential embarrassment approaching from the horizon.</p><p>“Yeah, we go to school together.” Zuko said plainly.</p><p>“Zuko, you know Iroh?” Katara beamed, she looked at each of them back and forth.</p><p>“He’s my…uncle.”</p><p>“Your uncle?!” Katara placed her mug back onto the table.</p><p>“He’s my nephew!” Iroh gave Zuko a pat on the shoulder.</p><p>“I can’t believe this, I mean, Iroh is like a saint to Suki, Sokka and I!” Katara continued, the happy look on her face only continuing to expand.</p><p>“Sounds about right.” Zuko looked to his uncle.</p><p>Katara looked down to her watch.</p><p>“Well, I’ve gotta go, but this is a cool connection.” She stood up from the booth and poured the coffee from her mug into a to-go cup.</p><p>“Zuko, I’ll see you at the alley spot today?” Katara cocked an eyebrow as she adjusted the bag on her shoulders.</p><p>Zuko nodded in response, before Katara was out the door, its bells ringing behind her.</p><p>Iroh took a seat across from Zuko, and the look on Iroh’s face already said enough.</p><p>“Uncle…”</p><p>“Miss Katara is very pretty isn’t she?”</p><p>Zuko felt himself blush, he couldn’t take it.</p><p>He stood up from the booth.</p><p>“It’s complicated.”</p><p>“Now, perfecting the art of brewing tea is complicated, the art of pursuing the heart of a woman who holds your own is quite the simple quest.” Iroh stated.</p><p>“Simple definitely isn’t the word.” Zuko responded.</p><p>He looked out the big windows surrounding the doorframe as Katara walked away and he knew it wasn’t simple, that <em>she</em> wasn’t simple…that nothing was simple.</p><p>“You know, I haven’t seen you around lately, my door is always open if you need me, Zuko.” Iroh’s voice creeped into Zuko’s ears as he saw Katara disappear into the distance.</p><p>Zuko knew what Iroh was referring to. Zuko’s home life wasn’t a happy one, Azula was bossy and a pain in his ass most days, and his father was absent, and when he was at home he was drinking, and it was a nightmare being around his father when he drank. Zuko spent most of his time in the guest house in their backyard. He made it a small home of his own. It was his nice, quiet place where he could escape from everything…<em>everyone</em>.</p><p>Zuko knew he could confide in Iroh when he needed to talk or really, when he needed anything at all, but Zuko almost felt guilty going to Iroh, he felt burdensome.</p><p>Zuko turned to Iroh and nodded, he gave him a superficial smile.</p><p>Iroh wasn’t convinced that Zuko fully absorbed his offer, but before he could say anything else, he was out the door.</p><hr/><p>Katara arrived to the spot first, and when she stood out there waiting for Zuko to come, she felt like she was reliving the time where he didn’t come at all. She felt the anxiety and thoughts of ‘I’m a total idiot’ start to creep in…but before they came to the surface, the door opened, and it was him.</p><p>
  <em>Zuko.</em>
</p><p>“Hi.” Katara greeted with a smile.</p><p>Zuko nodded and sat down on the concrete, setting his backpack next to him.</p><p>Katara took a seat next to him, and she sat very close. She thought back to the time when she did so the first time the pair were out here, and he scooted away.</p><p>He didn’t move this time.</p><p>Zuko pulled a pack of cigarettes out from his bag along with his lighter.</p><p>Katara thought back to their conversation at the diner, and how Zuko didn’t exactly seem himself. Sure, he was slightly dismissive by nature, she had observed. And maybe, he wasn’t the best conversationalist, but she knew something was still going on with him.</p><p>“So, uh, you didn’t really get to answer, back at the diner this morning. Are you ok?” Katara began, and she felt her heart beat pick up with the last three words.</p><p>Zuko took a drag of his cigarette and looked out, “It’s just, my girlfriend, Mai.”</p><p>Oh.</p><p>Katara felt her stomach turn.</p><p>
  <em>Girlfriend.</em>
</p><p>
  <em> He had one of those.</em>
</p><p>“Or should I say, ex-girlfriend?” Zuko continued.</p><p>
  <em>Or, maybe not.</em>
</p><p>“Oh no. What happened?” Katara inquired, she began to nervously fidget with the edges of her sweater sleeves.</p><p>“We just never see eye-to-eye and I’m so fucking tired of it. She never listens to what I have to say, and then when I tried to talk to her about how I’m feeling she just dismissed me. And, I hate it because she broke up with me and I’m kind of ok with it. It’s not even the first time we’ve broken up, she’s so hot and cold and we’re so off and on, and like I said, I’m so tired of it. I mean, I care about her, I always will, but I just can’t keep up with…whatever the hell our relationship even is now. I just…I just hope this time, it’s done for good, and we can just move on.” Zuko paused.</p><p>Katara absorbed the information. She felt weird hearing this much stuff about Zuko’s relationship, it felt like she was intruding.</p><p>“I know she deserves someone who understands her better. I’ve realized that I don’t understand her very well, and when I try to communicate that it comes off spiteful, when I don’t mean it to.” Zuko continued.</p><p>Katara observed the fact that it was Zuko who was babbling this time, and not the other way around, it amused her.</p><p>“I think you’re too hard on yourself.” Katara put plainly. She turned her eyes away from him and looked forward.</p><p>“What do you mean?”</p><p>“You shouldn’t have to be in a relationship you’re unhappy with. And, honestly it sounds like <em>you’ve</em> just been trying to make <em>her</em> happy, like <em>you’ve </em>been putting in all the work for <em>her</em>. What about you? I don’t know…it just sounds like you’ve been talking on a broken telephone line for ages now, maybe it’s time to just hang it up for good.” Katara elaborated.</p><p>Zuko looked over to her.</p><p>“You’ve tried to get her to listen, you’ve tried to articulate how you feel, and if she broke up with you because of that, then so be it, honestly. You know, everything happens for a reason. Maybe you and her just…aren’t meant to be.” Katara turned her head toward him.</p><p>Their eyes met.</p><p>“It’s a nice thing to think about, you know? The whole idea of ‘what’s meant to be, will be.’” Katara extended her thoughts.</p><p>“Do you really believe that, Katara?” Zuko asked, he glanced away and put out his cigarette.</p><p>She felt her heart flutter at the sound of her name coming from his voice.</p><p>“Wholeheartedly.” Katara nodded.</p><p>There was a pause before Katara spoke,</p><p>“So...do you have your Walkman? I’m ready for more music.”</p><p>Zuko opened his jacket and revealed his empty pockets.</p><p>“Aw! Come on, I swear, you have that thing with you everywhere you go.” Katara mused.</p><p>“Everywhere, huh?” Zuko smiled at Katara, and it was genuine, Katara felt butterflies in her stomach as she saw him smile.</p><p>She tried to dismiss the feeling.</p><p>Zuko looked to her, and then stood up.</p><p>“Come on.” He said, he began to walk.</p><p>“Where?”</p><p>“We’ll go sit in my car, to listen to music. I have some tapes in there.” He concluded.</p><p>Katara stood up and followed in his footsteps. As she followed behind him, she got a whiff of his cologne and felt herself receive butterflies and a quickened heartbeat.</p><p>She tried to dismiss the feelings once more.</p><p>She realized with Zuko’s complications with Mai, on top of her messy breakup with Jet, it was better for them to stay friends. Suki had made it out to Katara as something so easy, but it wasn’t and even if these feelings for Zuko wouldn’t be going anywhere, she could try to ignore them. For her good and his.</p><p>She shut the door behind her as she plopped down into his passenger seat. Zuko was browsing through a few tapes he had in his hands, and she took them from him.</p><p>“What are you doing?” He griped, leaning over his head from his seat to hers.</p><p>“I get to choose.” She glanced up at him before continuing to go through the cassettes.</p><p>She looked through for a few more seconds before choosing one, and putting it into the radio.</p><p>“A song I actually know.” Katara stated.</p><p>Zuko turned the volume dial, and the intro for Tears for Fears’ Everybody Wants to Rule the World began to play.</p><p>“Katara, you chose the worst tape I have.” Zuko snatched his cassettes away from her.</p><p>“Wrong! I chose the best one.” Katara retorted.</p><p>She turned the volume up herself, and cranked it to the loudest setting. Katara sang, as loud as she could, it reminded Zuko of how she sang at the party last weekend.</p><p>
  <span class="Apple-converted-space">As Katara sang, the phrase rang in the back of her mind.</span>
</p><p>
  <em> <span class="Apple-converted-space">What's meant to be, will be.</span> </em>
</p><p>
  <span class="Apple-converted-space">And, little did she know, it rang in Zuko's mind, too, much like many of the other words and phrases Katara had told him that he just couldn't seem to forget.</span>
</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0008"><h2>8. Chapter 8</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>It had been a week.</p><p>Zuko hadn’t spoken to Katara, or even looked at her. She had the alley spot all to herself, every single day. She would go to the Dragon Diner in the mornings where she would glance at the booth where Zuko and her had sat, he was never there.</p><p>She saw him once, walking into school from the parking lot, but she noted he didn’t acknowledge her.</p><p>Katara wondered if she had done something wrong, if her moments and conversations with Zuko meant nothing to him. She wondered if she was crazy to think that he might have actually felt something for her in return. He was emotionless, she concluded. It was rude to be kinda close with someone for nearly two weeks, and then completely ignore their existence within the next second.</p><p>Katara would think to their times...in the alley spot, the listening booth, dancing to Love My Way and singing the lyrics until she couldn’t breathe.</p><p>It hurt her to think that those moments meant nothing to him—when they were some of the most fun she’d had in months. She hadn’t felt adrenaline, butterflies, and inevitable laughter like that in so long…</p><p>She believed a contributing factor to her feelings of dread about Zuko’s apparent disappearance was Suki’s absence. Since Suki was glued to Sokka’s side at all times, she felt like she didn’t have anyone to really talk to. Of course, Katara was able to cope. After all, it had only been a week, and Katara was hopeful that Suki and Sokka’s honey moon phase would slowly come to an end within the next few days.</p><p>She wasn’t as hopeful with Zuko, though.</p><p>He was so unpredictable, an enigma. She felt like she knew him sometimes, but then the next moment, she felt like she knew nothing about him at all. She wouldn’t feel all that surprised if he never spoke a word to her ever again. That was very on brand for him, being ‘mysterious’. However, <em>friends</em> don’t usually go an entire week without even just simply checking in with the ones they cared about. She wondered if he cared about her.</p><p>
  <em> He must.</em>
</p><p>Zuko was her <em>friend</em>, and although he hadn’t been for very long, Katara still felt empty without him around.</p><p>She missed his cologne, even the smell of his cigarettes, too. She missed his Walkman headphone pressed to her ear. She missed the way his lips would quirk up into a small, almost inconspicuous, smile when she would <em>attempt</em> tell a joke. She missed his shit dance moves, and the way his presence made her heart sink into her chest…like it was a boat being swallowed by an ocean in the hands of a storm.</p><p>Katara wondered if it was better this way. The last time she had been with him, it was pretty obvious her personal feelings for him had passed far beyond the valley of ‘friendship’, and she knew that even if Zuko did have feelings for her (which she concluded he didn’t since he had seemingly been avoiding her) it would be better to just stay friends. Things were just too messy, complicated, confusing, and Hell, Zuko wasn’t even speaking to her.</p><p>She wanted to talk to Suki about it, but she felt bad, since Suki had been on cloud nine ever since her and Sokka talked about their feelings. They were officially boyfriend and girlfriend, and Katara had mixed feelings about that whole situation.</p><p>That was something she wished she could talk to Zuko about.</p><p>She felt burdensome, talking to either Zuko or Suki.</p><p>That’s why currently, she was sitting on a bench at the skatepark, watching Aang and Toph shred it up along the complicated curves of the concrete. She cradled a book in her lap, where she would occasionally read and turn a page, but most of her attention was on Toph and Aang, whose skate skills were truly out of this world.</p><p>Other kids in the park skated as well, and one had set up a stereo a few feet away from the bench that played one of the local radio stations.</p><p>
  <em>“Goooood afternoon! It is going to be a nice, sunny Friday evening so I say grab a friend, and head outside as soon as you can! I have a feeling the sunset tonight is going to be absolutely phenomenal. Stay tuned, this is channel 86.7and we’ve got all the hits! Prince, The Thompson Twins, and Duran Duran coming at you next!”</em>
</p><p>Even though Aang got on her nerves sometimes, he was always a comforting person to have around since she’d known him practically her whole life. It was fun seeing him be so free, and Toph, too.</p><p>“Hey Sugar Queen!”</p><p>Katara looked up from the page in her book, Toph had stopped skating and was walking toward Katara with a cane tapping around in front of her.</p><p>Toph was blind, but had been skateboarding ever since she could walk, it was like an escape for her. Something that she was good at, that she could do like everyone else—correction, that she could do <em>better</em> than everyone else.</p><p>Toph could only go to this specific skate course to do tricks though, she’d memorized all the curves and divots at a young age after coming so much. She was able to do some really cool tricks other kids couldn’t even think to do.</p><p>“Hi Toph.” Katara shut her book and slumped in her seat.</p><p>“Is today the day you finally let me teach you how to do an ollie?” Toph whined, and found the bench with the tips of her fingers before taking a seat next to Katara.</p><p>“Not today.”</p><p>Katara never wanted to learn how. She didn’t even have to try it to know skateboarding wasn’t her thing.</p><p>“You seem a little down, you ok?” Toph looked straight forward.</p><p>The light from the sun reflected off her pale skin and made the specks of green in her mostly grey irises visible. Toph shoved her fists into the pockets of her black hoodie and blew a puff of air upwards to move the hair sticking to her forehead.</p><p>“I’ll be ok.” Katara replied, she looked over to Aang and the other kids still skating.</p><p>Katara stayed at the park until the sun began to set. She noted the radio man was right, that the sun set that night had been ‘<em>absolutely phenomenal</em>’.</p><p>Her, Toph, and Aang ventured back to their neighborhood together. Toph and Aang drifted down the street on their boards, while Katara walked behind them.</p><p>The sky was a dark pink, and the puffy clouds of the sky were a bright yellow-orange. The sun was hidden behind the seemingly dense clouds, but it didn’t matter since its presence was still so visible…through the beams peeking through any cracks and crevices the clouds had and the rays of light that cascaded across the sky.</p><p>Toph and Aang’s mirth filled Katara’s ears as the two of them rolled down the wide road. This was the only street in their neighborhood that Toph could board down, since it was so wide. Katara always liked seeing the two of them interact.</p><p>“The look on his face when you did that epic 364 dragon flip today, Toph, it was priceless. You never fail to disappoint.” Aang mused, his laughter growing louder.</p><p>“He needed that slice of humble pie.” Toph replied.</p><p>“Hell yeah he did!” Aang and Toph turned a corner to go down their street, Toph hopped off her board.</p><p>“Hey! Be careful guys!” Katara hollered from a few feet away.</p><p>“Bye Katara!”</p><p>“See ya, Katara!”</p><p>And they were gone.</p><p>Katara turned the opposite way down her street.</p><p>She stared at her feet as she walked, kicking the occasional pebble or wood chip.</p><p>When she looked up to her house as she approached, she saw him.</p><p>“Zuko?”</p><p>He was standing at the front door, holding his fist upward, about to knock. He turned around at the sound of her voice.</p><p>Katara felt her heartbeat pick up when she saw him, and part of that was out of anger.</p><p>
  <em>What was he doing here?</em>
</p><p>She climbed up the sidewalk stairs to her front yard, while Zuko climbed down the stairs from her front porch. They met in the middle of her front yard.</p><p>“What the hell are you doing here?” Katara scowled, she crossed her arms.</p><p>“Oh…so, you’re mad…” He scratched the back of his head.</p><p>“Well, I don’t hear from you for a week, and now suddenly you’re on my front door step?” Katara sighed.</p><p>She didn’t know what to feel, but she was mad at him. What he did was a shitty thing to do.</p><p>“Listen…Katara…”</p><p>“Maybe I read all of this wrong, but I thought we…we were…I don’t know…really becoming friends, I guess, and it just kind of hurt my feelings to not even hear a simple ‘hello’ from you…or anything.”</p><p>Zuko just looked at her, he had his hands shoved in his pockets.</p><p>Katara was impatient.</p><p>“If you’re not going to say anything, I’m just going to go inside.” Katara scoffed, and began to walk past him.</p><p>“No, Katara, wait.” His voice was small, and he wrapped his hand gently around her arm.</p><p>His touch was comforting to her.</p><p>She slowly turned around, unable to resist his adamance.</p><p>“I just…I was avoiding you.” He choked out.</p><p>Katara felt her heart drop.</p><p>“Well, uh, that’s great to know.” Katara felt stupid.</p><p>She turned the opposite way once more.</p><p>“No, you don’t understand—“</p><p>She turned around,</p><p>“You know, if you’ve been internally making fun of me this whole time, you could have told me off a long time ago, or even avoided me a long time ago, I’m sure I would have got the message. You didn’t have to…be kind to me and show me friendship when your ultimate goal was just to avoid me the very next second. You’re <em>heartless,</em> Zuko.” Katara felt tears prick at her eyes, she felt so embarrassed.</p><p>She never should have invited him to that stupid party in the first place.</p><p>“Katara just listen to me.” Zuko’s voice was slightly raised.</p><p>She took a breath in and just looked at him.</p><p>“I’m not used to this, ok? I’m not good at…being friends with people, Hell, that’s why I don’t really have any…I lied when I said I did, ok? I had Mai, <em>Had</em>. But even her, I was never really vulnerable or open with her or-or…however I am with you. And…I was scared, because you’re so cool, and kind, and definitely a person I’d never imagine spending time with. And so I was afraid I’d fuck it up, like I’ve done before, so I thought it’d be better if I gave you some space.” Zuko had a hard time stringing his words together. After he had finished, Katara felt heat rise to her cheeks. She took a step closer to him.</p><p>“But, I get it, if you don’t want to see me anymore.” Zuko glanced to the ground.</p><p>“No, Zuko.” Katara stepped closer, she felt the urge to intertwine her fingers with his, but she resisted.</p><p>“No, I didn’t, I didn’t—“</p><p>“Here.” Zuko pulled a cassette out of his pocket, and gestured it to her.</p><p>She looked to him, his eyes still gazing downward.</p><p>Katara took the cassette from his hands, and she flipped it over. It was labeled with black marker,</p><p>
  <b>
    <em>KATARA’S MIX</em>
  </b>
</p><p>
  <b>
    <em> FROM ZUKO</em>
  </b>
</p><p>She traced the small object with her fingertips, and felt butterflies flutter in her stomach.</p><p>She looked up to Zuko, and his back was turned. He was walking toward his car.</p><p>“Wait, no, Zuko…” Katara trailed off.</p><p>He’d opened the driver’s door to his car, and Katara stood on the opposite side.</p><p>“I don’t need space, ok? I <em>want</em> to be with you. I missed you this week, the alley spot felt lonely without you. <em>I </em>felt lonely without you.”</p><p>Zuko’s lips quirked up slightly, forming a small smile.</p><p>“I missed you too.”</p><p>“Yeah, well, don’t be a stranger. I’m going to listen to this and give you a full report, whether you like it or not.” Katara chuckled, raising the tape in the air.</p><p>“Well, I’d definitely like that.” Zuko replied, his subtle smirk still present.</p><p>He stood for a moment and just examined Katara, and Katara did the same to him.</p><p>“I’ll see you around.” She spoke the phrase as if it were a question.</p><p>“Yeah.” Zuko responded.</p><p>He gazed at her one last time, before getting in his car and shutting the door behind him.</p><p>Katara watched as he drove away, and she cradled the cassette carefully in her hand. When his car disappeared into the distance she looked down at the tape.</p><p>Her heart felt like it was being swallowed by the ocean once more.</p>
<hr/><p>“He made you a mixtape?! Sokka! Why don’t you do something like that?!” Suki nudged Sokka’s arm.</p><p>“Hey, we’ve only been dating a little more than a week, give a man some time.” Sokka retorted.</p><p>“I feel so bad, I said some pretty shitty things to him.” Katara paced back in forth in front of her brother and her best friend.</p><p>Sokka and Suki sat on the street curb in front of Katara and Sokka’s house. Katara was in the street, arms crossed, nervously walking.</p><p>Toph and Aang were a few feet away, Toph was talking Aang through some new skateboarding moves.</p><p>“Don’t feel bad. I mean, that was kind of a douchebag thing to do.” Suki glanced from Sokka to Katara.</p><p>“Yeah, it kinda was. He beat Jet up pretty much in advocacy for you and then he just decides not to talk to you? Weird. Very hot and cold, I guess you could say.” Sokka bit into an apple and looked over to Aang and Toph. Babysitter instinct. Even though they were fifteen, and old enough to take care of themselves for the most part, it was a habit. For both Katara and Sokka.</p><p>“Like I said, I don’t think he has a lot of friends, and since him and Mai are pretty much over—“</p><p>“WHAT?!” Suki interrupted, she stood up from the curb.</p><p>“Him and Mai broke up?” She continued.</p><p>“I think so. It’s all complicated. But, I was saying that maybe we could invite him to something when we all hang out. We’re seeing <em>The Goonies</em> at the theater downtown with Toph and Aang tomorrow night…do you think I could invite him?” Katara tried to disregard Suki’s reaction, she knew exactly what she was getting at.</p><p>“Katara. It’s time for you to confront these feelings. The guy is single, and he digs you too, I mean, he made you a mixtape.” Suki cocked an eyebrow.</p><p>“‘Feelings’? You got the hots for Zuko, Katara?” Sokka was curious.</p><p>“Can it, Sokka.” Katara felt herself blush.</p><p>She didn’t like them talking to her about this, especially when Suki had been MIA ever since getting with Sokka.</p><p>“Not everything is ‘that easy’ like you say it is, Suki. God.” Katara groaned, and she walked past them in the direction of her house.</p><p>She was annoyed with Suki, and she couldn’t keep a happy face plastered on any longer.</p><p>“Katara!” Suki exclaimed, she ran after her.</p><p>“So you’re pissed with me?”</p><p>Katara stopped on her front porch, Suki standing beside her.</p><p>“Well, I mean, you haven’t exactly been available to talk with me about this current series of events. You’re out playing tonsil tennis with Sokka!” Katara rolled her eyes.</p><p>“Kiddo, you know I would have talked with you if you just asked. Why didn’t you tell me you were upset?” Suki placed a hand on Katara's shoulder.</p><p>Katara paused.</p><p>“I guess, I...didn’t know I could.”</p><p>“You can always talk to me, whenever, wherever. Just because I’m with Sokka now…it doesn’t change that! I guess it was my mistake thinking you already knew that. I just—I’m here for you Katara, always. And if you ever need me and I’m in the middle of a tennis match with Sokka, feel free to pry me off.” Suki chuckled.</p><p>“Ew.” Katara laughed.</p><p>“Yeah, that was gross, but you know what I mean.” Suki smiled.</p><p>Katara nodded, and looked lovingly at Suki. She threw her arms around her.</p><p>"Now, let's go inside, I wanna hear the music on this <em>captivating</em> mixtape Zuko made for you." Suki opened the front door.</p><p>"Suki!" Katara nudged her, and followed behind.</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>AHH!! guys i hope you like this chapter! it was so fun to write! also btw i really enjoy all of your comments and it makes me so happy people are liking the story! thank you for reading and lmk your thoughts on this chapter :) &lt;333</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0009"><h2>9. Chapter 9</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Zuko stood at Katara’s front door with his fist raised. He slowly knocked three times before dropping his arm to his side. He took a deep breath in.</p><p>Katara invited him to a movie with her brother, Suki, and a couple of sophomores that he didn’t really know. He felt weird about everything, mostly because Katara’s friendship seemed like something that would be permanent, or at least was going to last for the rest of the school year. He was quite content with that, he just felt weird about the whole thing. Hanging out and being friends with someone like Katara, someone so popular, kind, cute, and empathetic had never really been something Zuko saw himself doing. It was crazy to him that Katara could be so many things. She's the person that made him realize first impressions are overrated, and that people are a lot more than what you, by yourself, make them out to be.</p><p>She surprised him. He hoped he had the same effect on her. </p><p>
  <em>Friends.</em>
</p><p>
  <em>Friends.</em>
</p><p>
  <em>Just friends.</em>
</p><p>The door swung open, and Katara stood in front of him in high waisted baggy blue jeans and a bright yellow tank top.</p><p>Their eyes met.</p><p>She smiled.</p><p>Zuko’s heart sped up.</p><p>“I’m so happy you could make it.” Katara opened the door further.</p><p>“Well, thanks for the invite.” Zuko replied, he scratched the back of his head.</p><p>He felt awkward, because not too long ago Katara had been yelling at him for being shitty friend, or just a shit person in general.</p><p>
  <em> Heartless.</em>
</p><p>The word had started to circle in Zuko’s mind frequently the second after it slipped Katara’s lips the other day.</p><p>“I’m still getting ready so…why don’t you come up to my room? We can chat and listen to music while I finish my makeup.” Katara took Zuko’s hand in hers and pulled him inside.</p><p>Her fingers interlaced with his was a feeling he wanted to get used too, but, the feeling disappeared in a mere second after Katara let go and used both of her hands to shut the door.</p><p>She then went upstairs, and Zuko followed her, his hand traced the railing. They walked down a short hallway and turned a corner into a bedroom.</p><p>Zuko examined the room and concluded that it matched Katara very well. The walls were a light blue-grey color, with posters and pictures plastered around. Her bedding had bright colored flowers on it, and there was rainbow rug rolled out in the middle of the room.</p><p>Katara took a seat at her vanity and began digging through her makeup bag.</p><p>Zuko stood awkwardly at the door as he continued to look around her room. He glanced to her dresser, where a stereo sat. He listened and heard quiet music coming from it.</p><p>“Zuko, you can come in. Just sit on my bed.” Katara chuckled.</p><p>Zuko did so.</p><p>“So, I’m playing your mixtape right now.” Katara said, continuing to take products out of her cosmetics bag.</p><p>Zuko felt his stomach turn.</p><p>He hoped she liked it.</p><p>“Do you…like it?” Zuko adjusted himself on her bed.</p><p>Katara turned around in her chair, smiling from ear to ear.</p><p>“I love it!” She exclaimed.</p><p>Zuko felt himself begin to smile at her enthusiasm.</p><p>“I really like that one song that’s like…<em>every little thing she does is magic…</em>” Katara sang the last bit—<em>rather poorly</em>, Zuko noted.</p><p>She turned back around toward the mirror.</p><p>“Yeah? The Police are pretty good.”</p><p>“Hell yeah.”</p><p>Zuko watched as Katara began to apply her makeup. She dipped one of her skinny brushes into a dark pink shade, and dusted it across her eye lids. Next, she took her black eyeliner pencil and outlined her eyes gently.<span class="Apple-converted-space"> This application took twice as long as the eyeshadow, she was very precise and diligent.</span></p><p>“You ever worn eyeliner?” Katara asked, as she finished with it.</p><p>Zuko realized for the last few minutes he’d kind of just been staring at her as she put on her makeup. He felt his cheeks start to get warm.</p><p>
  <em>Embarrassing.</em>
</p><p>“Uh, no.” Zuko responded late.</p><p>Katara got up from her chair and took a seat next to him on her bed. She sat criss cross and faced him.</p><p>“Do you want some? I think it would totally match your look, plus all those cool dudes in punk bands are wearing it these days.” Katara’s eyes were wide and her lips curved up into a smirk.</p><p>Zuko thought eyeliner might look good. He never really thought about it much before, but he decided if Katara thought it was cool, then it must be <em>really</em> cool.</p><p>“Uh sure.” Zuko was about to take the eyeliner pencil from her hand and attempt to apply it himself, but before he could, she rested her hand on his cheek.</p><p>
  <em>Fuck.</em>
</p><p>Her hand was a little cold, but her touch sent tingles throughout his face and his heart beat quickened.</p><p>She placed the tip of the eyeliner in her mouth and used her teeth to uncap it. After doing so, she leaned close to Zuko’s face and began to draw along his eye.</p><p>Zuko was frozen, he couldn’t move. If he did, he felt like it would ruin everything. Katara was so close to him, and he never wanted this moment to end. Her scent was strong, her little nose was scrunched, her cerulean eyes were slightly squinted.</p><p>He wanted to lean in and kiss her so fucking bad.</p><p>
  <em>No, he didn’t just think that.</em>
</p><p>
  <em> No, no, no.</em>
</p><p>Katara is a<em> friend.</em></p><p>Katara finished the first eye, she leaned back.</p><p>“Ok Zuko, you look totally rad!”</p><p>Zuko just half smiled.</p><p>Who knew eyeliner could make someone this happy?</p><p><em>Only Katara,</em> Zuko thought.</p><p>She was now doing his scarred eye. She was more careful with this eye, and it took a little more time, which Zuko was completely fine with.</p><p>The two sat, without speaking, as Katara continued. The quiet music from the stereo hummed in the background and Zuko recognized each of the songs that would play.</p><p>“Alright.” Katara placed the cap back on the eyeliner.</p><p>She gestured for Zuko to look in the mirror of her vanity. He did so.</p><p>“You look…hot.” Katara chuckled.</p><p>
  <em>Hot?!</em>
</p><p>Zuko began to blush, pretty conspicuously.</p><p>“You think so?” He looked away from the mirror and back to Katara.</p><p>She looked into his eyes, and he looked into hers. Zuko felt like time stopped.</p><p>
  <em>Was this it? Should he kiss her? </em>
</p><p>
  <em>She did just call him hot.</em>
</p><p>
  <em> No, no, God, no.</em>
</p><p>Katara is a <em>friend.</em> He didn’t want to jeopardize it.</p><p>Friend, more or less, Zuko concluded that she looked so beautiful. Little strands of dark hair framed her face, the light hit her blue eyes perfectly and they sparkled, her lips were a light shade of pink and the tip of her nose was dusted with blush. Zuko leaned in a little closer. He tucked a piece of hair behind Katara’s ear.</p><p>They just stared.</p><p>And then, Katara looked away.</p><p>“I uh, still have to put on mascara, but then I should be ready to go.”</p><p>“Oh, yeah.”</p><p>Katara got up from the bed and returned to her seat at the vanity.</p><p>Zuko was quiet.</p><p>
  <em>What the fuck just happened?</em>
</p><p>He looked up to himself in the mirror and examined the eyeliner. He admitted, it looked pretty good on him.</p><p>After glancing at his reflection, he looked down to his hands and started fidgeting with his fingers.</p><p>
  <em>What the fuck. What the fuck. What the fuck.</em>
</p><p>They almost kissed, <em>right?</em> He couldn’t tell.</p><p>“Zuko, I wanted to properly apologize for the other day.” Katara spoke as she closed her make up bag.</p><p>She returned to her spot next to Zuko on the bed.</p><p>Zuko was surprised about the sudden change of atmosphere. He didn’t think Katara needed to apologize to him.</p><p>“I was just…upset. I should have listened to you in the first place. I really, um, like you Zuko and I was afraid that I spent all this time with you and you’d just been…I don’t know, I guess I can be pretty guarded. And, after what you said, I see that you can be too. I’m just, I’m sorry.” Katara looked to Zuko and then looked down. She had trouble putting her thoughts into words.</p><p>“Katara, I understand, don’t even worry about it. I’m just glad we’re friends now.” Zuko replied.</p><p>
  <em>Friends.</em>
</p><p>Katara slowly started to smile.</p><p>“Me too.”</p><hr/><p>“Ok but that movie was insane! Those water slides they went down at the end looked so freaking cool!” Aang shoved a hand full of fries in his mouth.</p><p>“It all <em>sounded</em> cool.” Toph added, she took a sip from her soda.</p><p>Katara, Zuko, Suki, Sokka, Toph, and Aang sat snug together in a booth at the Dragon Diner. They had just finished seeing <em>The Goonies</em> and decided to get a late night snack before parting ways.</p><p>“Katara, that Brand guy…pretty attractive huh? Like DAMN.” Suki mused, she took a slurp from her strawberry milkshake.</p><p>“Suki, I was about to say the same thing I swear--“</p><p>“Your boyfriend is right here.” Sokka interrupted and rose his eyebrows at Suki.</p><p>Suki chuckled and gave him a quick peck on the lips.</p><p>“YOW! Remember to keep the PDA to a minimum around me.” Katara stuck her tongue out before reaching for a fry.</p><p>“Oh to a minimum?” Suki smirked, before wrapping her arms around Sokka and giving him a <em>real</em> kiss.</p><p>She then pulled away, Sokka’s cheeks were firetruck red.</p><p>“Jesus Christ.” Zuko held back a laugh as he took a sip from his Coke.</p><p>“Gross.” Katara scrunched her nose. She reached for another fry in the red basket and as she did, so did Zuko. Their hands bumped into each other.</p><p>Zuko flinched his hand away.</p><p>“Sorry.” He choked out.</p><p>Katara shook her head.</p><p>“No, it’s fine, here you go.” She took a handful and placed them on the plate in front of him.</p><p>She took a couple for herself.</p><p>“So, Zuko, how did you and Katara become so close?” Aang inquired suddenly from down the table.</p><p>“Aang?” Katara glared at him.</p><p>Toph punched Aang in the arm, he squealed but then returned his condescending glance to Zuko</p><p>“She invited me to a party a few weeks ago, and we’ve just been hanging out ever since.” Zuko said plainly, he looked to Katara with a confused look on his face.</p><p>“So what are your intentions with her?” Aang continued to pry, obviously picking up on the social cues around but deciding to ignore them.</p><p>“Aang, buddy?” Sokka scowled.</p><p>“No, it’s fine. I uh, I really like Katara, And, all of you actually. I guess I just wanna have a good time here before leaving for college.” Zuko took the immature interrogation nicely.</p><p>“Amen to that.” Sokka said, he wrapped his arm around Suki.</p><p>“Right on!” Katara agreed, she raised her drink.</p><p>Everyone clinked theirs with her. Aang did so as well, but halfheartedly, and with a displeased look on his face.</p><p>As everyone finished eating and the conversations died out, the Gaang left the diner, bidding Iroh a farewell on the way out.</p><p>Suki, Sokka, Toph, and Aang had ridden separately in Sokka’s car, while Zuko and Katara had ridden together in Zuko’s car. Sokka and Suki had been hanging out prior, so just decided to pick Toph and Aang up for the movie, and Zuko had picked Katara up.</p><p>They all said good-bye to one another, while Katara and Sokka gave each other the classic sibling ‘see ya at home’. Everyone returned to their respective rides.</p><p>The car was quiet at first. Katara picked out a mixtape as Zuko drove. After she chose one and inserted it in the radio, she was the first to speak.</p><p>“Sorry about Aang, I hope he didn’t make you uncomfortable.”</p><p>Zuko kept his eyes on the road.</p><p>“I wasn’t uncomfortable at all, it was just kind of weird. He have a crush on you or something?”</p><p>Katara blushed.</p><p>“Yeah, I think so.” Is all she could say.</p><p>“He’s probably intimidated by me, but he shouldn’t be. We’re just…<em>friends</em>.” Zuko dragged the ‘just’ out for awhile.</p><p>Katara knew she didn’t want to be ‘just friends’, but again, the rationality in her came to surface and she reminded herself once again it was better that way.</p><p>“Do you like him?”</p><p>“No.” Katara responded rather quickly.</p><p>She paused.</p><p>“He’s Aang, he’s like a little brother to me.”</p><p>Zuko scoffed.</p><p>“Have you told him that?”</p><p>Katara held back her smirk</p><p>“Not yet. I was hoping he’d catch on, but it seems like I’m gonna have to say something to him about it.” Katara concluded, she slumped in the passenger seat.</p><p>“Yikes. I wouldn’t want to be there for that.” Zuko looked over to her and chuckled.</p><p>Katara nudged him in the arm and joined in on the laughter.</p><p>“Shut up!”</p><p>Zuko pulled up to her house and put the car in park.</p><p>Katara looked out her window and then over to him.</p><p>“Thanks, Zuko.” She smiled warmly.</p><p>“Thank you, Katara.” Zuko replied, returning her expression.</p><p>“For what?” Katara shook her head and let out another small laugh.</p><p>“For…everything.”</p><p>Katara still had the smile on her face, there was a pause after Zuko's response, and her lips softened. Then, suddenly, she then threw her arms around him, resting her knees on the passenger seat and leaning over the gear shift.</p><p>Zuko was surprised, but he slowly wrapped his arms around her and they hugged for a moment.</p><p>Katara buried her head into his shoulder, and she smelled the sweet scent of his cologne. She rested one of her hands on the back of his head. The angle of the hug was a little awkward, but she liked being held in his arms, she felt…safe.</p><p>She slowly pulled away from the embrace and returned to her seat. Her and Zuko looked at each other for a moment.</p><p>“Ok, well, uh, goodnight.” Katara spoke, she shook her head and turned toward the exit. She placed her hand on the handle and popped the door open.</p><p>“G-Goodnight, Katara.” Zuko stammered.</p><p>She looked at him one last time before slamming the door behind her. As Katara walked from Zuko’s car to her house, she made sure not to look back at him. It was within this short walk, merely seconds between the time she left the car and opened the door to her house that Katara had the inevitable realization—</p><p>There was no way she couldn't suppress her feelings for Zuko any longer.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0010"><h2>10. Chapter 10</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>“OH MY GOD. Katara, he was totally gonna kiss you. He was gonna lay one on you right then and there! I can’t believe this.” Suki threw her hands in the air. Katara sat across from her at a booth in the Dragon Diner.</p><p>“Suki, keep your voice down.” Katara looked down to her plate. She glanced to the side and saw a few customers in the restaurant look over.</p><p>“He tucked a piece of your hair behind your ear? And you guys just…stared at each other?!” Suki continued on, ignoring Katara’s previous halfhearted demand.</p><p>Katara blushed, thinking about her and Zuko's moment in her room.</p><p>“Would you have let him do it? Kiss you? Jesus Christ, I wasn’t even there and I can feel the tension.” Suki cocked an eyebrow.</p><p>Katara rested her chin on the palms of her hands and propped her head up with her elbows.</p><p>“Of course I would have let him do it! My feelings for him are far from mild at this point. I don’t think I can keep them at bay for much longer. It’s gotten so bad, every time my mind wanders it’s to him.” Katara frowned, she felt so frustrated.</p><p>“Why don’t you just tell him how you feel?” Suki stirred her drink with her straw.</p><p>“I can’t. I might have to, though. It’s just…I don’t know about him and Mai…” Katara trailed off, her stomach began to churn at the mere thought of telling Zuko how she felt about him.</p><p>“Aren’t him and Mai over? God, Katara he likes you. It’s so obvious, he was staring at you the whole night last night…and he’d always agree with everything you said.” Suki mused, she crossed her arms.</p><p>“No he wouldn’t.”</p><p>“Yes he would.”</p><p>“No.”</p><p>Katara shook her head.</p><p>“Just trust me. If you tell him how you feel, something amazing is going to come out of it.” Suki sounded very assuring.</p><p>“Ok, let’s say by some miracle, he feels the same way and would want to date…we’re going to college next fall. I can’t start a new relationship and then just have to leave. And…especially not with him…I just know it’d be really hard to…leave.”</p><p>Katara, at this point, felt an attachment to Zuko as just friends, she knew if they were to become something more than that, her attachment to him would become even stronger, and she wasn’t sure if she could handle that. It would be even harder then— to eventually let him go.</p><p>When she was with Jet, she never felt this sort of attachment. She cared for him of course, but she wondered if there was this sort of invisible string tethering her and Zuko together. From the moment they met, she knew he wouldn’t be leaving her life any time soon. She'd never felt such frustration and admiration for someone before</p><p>She experiences this feeling when she’s with him...a certain ‘something’—in the pit of her stomach, within the depths of her heart—and she’s fearful that she’ll never find out what that ‘something’ is. And she wants to, more than anything.</p><p>It was only the night prior that she realized in order to decipher this 'something' she would probably have to tell Zuko how she felt, whether she liked it or not.</p><p>“This is you thinking too much, again. That is months away, think about <em>right now</em>.” Suki’s tone was empathetic.</p><p>Katara sighed.</p><p>“Ok, since I hate seeing you like this, I’ll make this easy for you…tell him…or I will.” Suki smiled deviously.</p><p>Katara felt sick.</p><p>“Suki, you can’t, you won’t.” Katara leaned over the table toward her.</p><p>Suddenly, as if it was the work of an upper being, the bell hanging on the front door rang…and he walked in.</p><p>
  <em>Zuko.</em>
</p><p>Suki's smile expanded.</p><p>“Try me.”</p><p>She got up from the booth and began walking toward him.</p><p>“Zuko!”</p><p>He turned around.</p><p>It was like a switch in Katara’s body was flipped, her whole being entered in panic mode.</p><p>She scampered behind Suki, nearly tripping over tables and chairs.</p><p>“Oh, hi Suki.” Zuko greeted.</p><p>“Fancy seeing you here. Anyway, there’s actually something I wanted to talk to you about…” Suki trailed off and looked to Katara who stood up straight next to her.</p><p>“Oh…” Zuko blushed.</p><p>“Actually Suki, I can take it from here.” Katara improvised.</p><p>She was gonna have to do it, right then and there.</p><p>“Oh! Great, well, I’ll see you guys around.” Suki beamed, before excusing herself out the front door.</p><p>
  <em>She was going to kill Suki later.</em>
</p><p>Katara turned to Zuko, who looked very confused.</p><p>“Zuko, I um, I need to uh, talk to you about…” Katara stammered, she looked to Zuko’s eyes but then looked away.</p><p>Her palms were sweating and her heart beat was humming so fast that she felt like it would explode from her chest at any second. </p><p>Katara’s eyes wandered to the front door, someone entered.</p><p>
  <em>Mai.</em>
</p><p>
  <em> Shit.</em>
</p><p>She walked toward the two of them.</p><p>As Mai approached them, she looked Katara up and down with intimidating eyes.</p><p>“I’ll just take a seat over here.” Mai turned to Zuko before sliding herself into a booth nearby.</p><p>“Sorry Katara, can we talk later?” Zuko spoke quietly, he cracked his knuckles nervously.</p><p>Katara felt her anxieties cease, but they were replaced with deep feelings of disappointment and sadness.</p><p>“No, we don’t have to talk at all, actually.” Katara felt tears begin to prick behind her eyes, but she was not going to let them fall.</p><p>
  <em>It’s not a big deal.</em>
</p><p>
  <em> They were always friends.</em>
</p><p>
  <em> That was it.</em>
</p><p>Zuko just looked at her for a moment, she wondered if he could tell she was on the verge of tears.</p><p>Katara felt embarrassed, she turned the other way toward the door.</p><p>“Wait, Katara, it’s not what you think…” Zuko’s hand brushed against her arm, as if to almost stop her.</p><p>But he didn’t.</p><p>Katara let the door close behind her.</p><hr/><p>The next day at school, Katara debated whether to go to the alley spot. She shouldn’t be mad at Zuko for going out with Mai. Hell, she should be happy for him, she’s his <em>friend</em>.</p><p>Her ultimate decision was to go and act like nothing was wrong. Anyway, there really wasn’t anything wrong. Katara concluded she was only overreacting.</p><p>Katara approached the back door, and opened it. Zuko had gotten there before her. He was already settled in with his Walkman on, cigarette in hand, and his head nestled into a book.</p><p>It was a cloudy day, and a little windy, his hair moved with the breeze.</p><p>As soon as he saw Katara he shut his book and took his headphones off.</p><p>“Katara.” He said, putting his cigarette out.</p><p>“Hi.” She greeted, taking a seat next to him.</p><p>“Listen, about yesterday—”</p><p>“I’m happy for you.” Katara didn’t let him finish.</p><p>Zuko’s expression mirrored confusion.</p><p>“You…you are?” He asked.</p><p>“Yes. I think it’s great you worked things out with her.” Katara continued.</p><p>The words felt so weird on her tongue.</p><p>Zuko looked away and down to his lap.</p><p>She wondered if he could tell she was lying</p><p>“Really?”</p><p>“Really.”</p><p>The next moment was quiet.</p><p>Zuko gazed outward, and started playing with his fingers.</p><p>He looked back to her suddenly, picking up his headphones from his neck.</p><p>“Well, do you wanna listen to—“</p><p>He was interrupted by a clap of thunder, and suddenly, rain began to pour down.</p><p>“Shit!” He exclaimed.</p><p>“Damn it.” Katara cursed.</p><p>They both stood up and just looked at each other. Rain misted across their faces and clothes, making them both soaking wet in mere seconds.</p><p>“Follow me, we can just listen to some music in my car.” Zuko turned and Katara followed.</p><p>They ran to his car, unable to avoid the shower of rain, they continued to get even more soaked than before.</p><p>They plopped down into the driver's and passenger's seats in his car. Their clothes clung tightly to their skin, causing the cloth to feel heavy on their bodies. Katara’s teased hair was flat, and water dripped from Zuko’s chin.</p><p>“Jesus Christ, I didn’t even know rain was in the forecast today.” Katara looked out the window.</p><p>“Neither did I.” Zuko took his jacket off and threw it to his back seat. He wore a black tshirt.</p><p>Katara turned away from the window and toward him. She smiled at his sheer presence.</p><p>“So much for the alley spot, huh?” She chuckled, so did he.</p><p>“Yeah.”</p><p>A moment of silence.</p><p>It seemed the pair forgot what they had come to the car to do in the first place, listen to music. Thoughts spiraled in each to their minds, and listening to music together definitely wasn’t a top priority for either of them.</p><p>“Katara—“</p><p>“Zuko—“</p><p>They spoke at the same time.</p><p>Katara smirked,</p><p>“You can go.”</p><p>He nodded nervously.</p><p>“Well, I just…I know you said…you were happy for me and Mai but…um…I actually only went to the diner with her yesterday to talk things over. We’ve known for awhile that we-uh don’t exactly see eye-to-eye and that our relationship never really worked well. So, that’s what it was, we’re-um-we’re over. For good.” Zuko stammered, he had a hard time maintaining eye contact with Katara.</p><p>Katara’s mouth was slightly agape. She read the whole situation wrong and was only seeing it correctly now.</p><p>“Oh…Zuko…” She felt horrible.</p><p>“No, Katara, but there’s…there’s more.” He said.</p><p>Water dripped from his jaw line.</p><p>He ran the back of his hand across his forehead.</p><p>Katara examined him, and how the rain water clung to him. She concluded it easily made him more attractive.</p><p>She just nodded, prepared for what he had to say.</p><p>“Well, you see, there’s this other girl, who I really like... a lot. She’s on my mind all the time.” Zuko said, he moved his glance to Katara.</p><p>“Oh.” Katara replied.</p><p><em>Be happy for him, </em>Katara told herself.</p><p>“She, um, is a really shitty singer, she’s stubborn beyond belief, she’s beautiful—especially when she wears blue and yellow, she scrunches her nose when she concentrates, she bobs her head to any song that’s playing, she’s um…”</p><p>Then, <em>the lightbulb—</em>Katara knew it was about her.</p><p>Her heartbeat speeds up to a million miles per minute.</p><p>“She’s actually great at putting eyeliner on and she’s the best friend I’ve ever had, which is uh, crazy since I’ve only known her for a few weeks…” Zuko trails off, like he’s lost his train of thought.</p><p>He looks down.</p><p>“But uh—“</p><p>Katara couldn’t take it any longer.</p><p>She leans over the gear shift, grabs him by the shirt, and she kisses him right on the lips.</p><p>It’s warm and…<em>nice</em>.</p><p>She pulls away.</p><p>“Shit, sorry, you were just saying all those nice things and I…I….”</p><p>Katara couldn’t look at him.</p><p>Zuko grabbed her arm gently, turning her back around. He placed his hand on her cheek and kissed her.</p><p>Katara’s head was a mess of differing thoughts, she couldn’t believe this was happening,</p><p>He tasted like peppermint and cigarettes. They continued to kiss, and Katara felt so high, it was <em>Zuko, a</em>nd he was such a great kisser, much better than Jet ever was.</p><p>Zuko tried to lean in closer, but was stopped from doing so by the gear shift in the middle. Katara, only interested in being closer to Zuko, maneuvered over the gear shift and was suddenly in his lap.</p><p>“Shit.” Zuko said under his breath after Katara made the little leap.</p><p>She laughed as they continued to kiss.</p><p>His hands rested on her waist, her fingers were strung throughout his hair.</p><p><em>God, </em>Katara thought, <em>it was definitely a game of tonsil tennis.</em></p><p>Suddenly, she pulled away.</p><p>She looked at him, his amber eyes wide.</p><p>She looked down, to see she was pretty much sitting in his lap. She looked around and saw she was in his car, and saw that all of this was <em>real.</em></p><p>
  <em>It was too much.</em>
</p><p>“I’m-uh-I’m sorry.” Katara’s heart sank.</p><p>
  <em>This isn’t what she wanted.</em>
</p><p>She can’t be with him now, build a relationship with him now, only to leave him when they go to college in a few months…she couldn't do it.</p><p>She never should have kissed him.</p><p>She placed her hand on the door handle, and popped Zuko’s car open. She exited.</p><p>It was still raining, but she didn’t care.</p><p>Zuko followed her out into the parking lot.</p><p>“Wait, Katara, <em>shit</em>, did I do something wrong? Did you not want to, uh, kiss me?” He was close behind her speaking slightly loud so he could be heard over the downpour of rain.</p><p>Katara stopped in her tracks and turned around.</p><p>“No, Zuko, you’re perfect, you didn’t do anything wrong.” Katara felt tears coming, she knew her voice would crack if she spoke again.</p><p>“What’s…what’s wrong?” He asked, taking a step closer to her.</p><p>“I just….I….” Katara couldn’t find the words.</p><p>“If you don’t like me, that’s-um, that’s ok, you know? We can just be—“</p><p>“No.” Katara didn’t let him finish.</p><p>She was quiet.</p><p>“You can…you can tell me.” He broke the silence.</p><p>She looked to him. His forehead had a wrinkle in the middle, he looked concerned. His eyes were soft, his lips were a little red from the kiss.</p><p>The rain continued to pour, causing strands of hair to stick to his forehead, and droplets to continue dripping from his chin.</p><p>“I just need to go. I’ll-I’ll see you around.” Katara stammered.</p><p>She turned the opposite direction to re-enter the school.</p><p>Zuko’s fingertips brushed against her shoulder, like he was deciding whether to stop her or not.</p><p>He didn’t.</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>THEY FINALLY KISSED!!!! omg but what will happen next chapter ?!?! wait and see :D thank u guys so much for reading, i really hope you are enjoying the story !!!</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0011"><h2>11. Chapter 11</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>It was 12:00. The barn was packed with kids, as it was every weekend. The music was loud, nearly shaking the wooden walls. Katara was intoxicated, head pounding, heart racing. She hadn’t been this wasted in awhile. Suki was worried.</p>
<p>After seeing Katara down another drink, Suki pulled her aside.</p>
<p>“Katara, that’s enough, ok?” Suki took the empty cup from her and threw it aside.</p>
<p>Katara’s eyes grew wide, she frowned.</p>
<p>“Y-You’re n-no fun.” Katara slurred over her words.</p>
<p>“I’m serious, I know you’re not in a good head space right now because of…whatever happened between you and Zuko—“</p>
<p>“Z-Zuko?! No…”</p>
<p>Suki looked over Katara’s shoulder, and her expression mirrored concern.</p>
<p>“Oh God, Katara, he’s here.” Suki pointed over to the barn door where Zuko stood, conspicuously uncomfortable.</p>
<p>Zuko examined the sea of people, looking for Katara. She was the only reason he came, she’d been sort of avoiding him at school, and he needed to speak with her.</p>
<p>He saw her speaking with Suki, and he approached. As he got closer, he could tell quite quickly that Katara wasn’t herself.</p>
<p>“Um, hi.” Zuko was awkward already, he didn’t know how not to be.</p>
<p>“Hi Zuko.” Suki smiled halfheartedly, he could tell something was off.</p>
<p>“Wh-What are y-you d-doing h-here? Katara stammered, she looked Zuko in the eyes.</p>
<p>“Holy shit, how much have you had?” Zuko leaned down a bit and examined her slightly red eyes.</p>
<p>“A lot.” Suki answered for her.</p>
<p>Zuko glanced over to Suki with concern.</p>
<p>“Y-You n-need to get o-out of h-here.” Katara took Zuko’s wrist and guided him back toward the door.</p>
<p>“Katara.” Zuko said her name as he followed behind.</p>
<p>Once they had exited the barn, she found his Buick and stood next to it.</p>
<p>She gestured her arm toward it weakly.</p>
<p>“H-Here you go.” She said.</p>
<p>“I’m not leaving.” Zuko stood his ground, he wriggled free of her grasp.</p>
<p>He stared at her, confused by her behavior. He wished she wasn’t so drunk, then maybe he could talk with her about the other day. About everything.</p>
<p>“G-Get out.” Katara put two hands on either of his shoulders and shoved him backward.</p>
<p>“The fuck, Katara? What’s gotten into you?” Zuko felt scared almost, he didn’t like seeing her this way.</p>
<p>“Y-You have, Zuko! E-Everyone in m-my life is g-going to leave. Suki, Sokka, Aang, Toph, my Gran, and m-my dad isn’t even a-around to leave. H-He left a long f-fucking time ago. And my…my mom…" She paused.</p>
<p>"God Zuko, I can’t have y-you leave too…not you…I can’t have a-anyone else l-leave me behind.” Katara was yelling, and Zuko stood, his heart beat fast.</p>
<p>He looked at her, rubbing her tears away with the back of her arm. Her hair slightly messy, her eyes red from alcohol and the sudden burst of cries.</p>
<p>“Katara, I’m not going anywhere.” Zuko took a step closer to her. He wanted to hold her.</p>
<p>“T-That’s what h-he said t-too, m-my dad.” Katara’s voice was low, and Zuko almost didn’t hear.</p>
<p>“You’re just…you’re just drunk, ok? No one is leaving you. <em>I’m</em> not leaving you.” Zuko stepped even closer, he leaned in and wrapped his strong arms around her fragile body.</p>
<p>She sobbed quietly into his chest. He bent down and rested his cheek on the top of her head.</p>
<p>It was all making sense to him now, why Katara left the car so abruptly the other day….why she was so upset all of the sudden—she had been scared of losing him.</p>
<p><em>A drunk man’s talk, is a sober man’s thoughts,</em> Zuko thought.He knew that phrase all too well.</p>
<p>Katara was hurting, and he wished he could make it stop.</p>
<p>She slowly pulled away from the embrace, and Zuko examined her. Her bright blue eye shadow and mascara was rubbed down her cheeks, she wore the yellow tank top, the one he loved on her. She wore a black vest over it, with dark blue jeans. She had layered necklaces, and her hair was pulled back with a scrunchie.</p>
<p>She was Katara, and she was complex and beautiful. She was Katara, and the weeks he'd known her felt like multiple forevers.</p>
<p>Katara sniffled and rubbed her nose with the back of her hand.</p>
<p>“I’m…I’m falling for you. I-I really a-am.” Katara spoke, she looked to him, her eyes still watering.</p>
<p>“Katara…” Zuko trailed off. He wasn’t sure what to do.</p>
<p>He wondered if that was the truth.</p>
<p>
  <em>It had to be.</em>
</p>
<p>“I am too,” He said, “I’m falling for you.”</p>
<p>She looked at him, her gaze blank.</p>
<p>“I don’t-I don’t want to…” Katara pressed her palm to her head, which Zuko assumed was pounding like no other.</p>
<p>“I do.” Zuko said.</p>
<p>Katara looked at him with wide eyes.</p>
<p>“I want to fall irreversibly in love with you. So bad. Hell, I think I’m halfway there. And I’m scared, so fucking scared. But you’re worth it. And I just hope I’m worth it for you, too.” Zuko’s words were sincere. He was confident in saying them, knowing that Katara would most likely forget it all when she sobered up.</p>
<p>Saying what he just did was something he only ever <em>imagined</em> doing.</p>
<p>Katara half smiled and took a step closer to him. She suddenly wrapped her arms around his neck and buried her head into his shoulder.</p>
<p>Zuko smiled softly as he pressed his cheek to her temple.</p>
<p>She pulled away from the embrace slowly, her nose brushed against his cheek.</p>
<p>Her face froze in front of his, their lips only inches apart. Zuko started to lean in closer, unable to resist the urge to kiss her, but he stopped himself.</p>
<p>He couldn’t kiss her while she was drunk.</p>
<p>He stepped away.</p>
<p>As he did, Katara bent over and yacked all over the ground.</p>
<p>“Oh shit, Katara.” Zuko stepped over the puke and stood behind her.</p>
<p>He helped her to some bushes nearby where she continued to throw up. He held her hair back.</p>
<p>“Oh God.” Katara muttered.</p>
<p>“It’s ok.” Zuko tucked pieces of hair behind her ears and bundled her long locks into his hand.</p>
<p>“Zuko?”</p>
<p>He turned around to see Suki.</p>
<p>“Hi.” He greeted, his main focus still being on Katara.</p>
<p>“You got her? I think Sokka and I may take off. We can take her if needed.” Suki referred to Katara as if she were a child who needed tending to, which, in her current state, wasn’t too far from the truth.</p>
<p>“Don’t worry, I got her.” Zuko assured Suki.</p>
<p>Suki smiled softly.</p>
<p>“She’s lucky to have you.”</p>
<p>Zuko’s heart stopped at the statement.</p>
<p>He nodded.</p>
<p>Suki turned the other way and left, leaving Katara and Zuko alone.</p>
<p>“How we feeling?” Zuko inquired.</p>
<p>Katara stood up straight.</p>
<p>“B-Better.” She stuttered.</p>
<p>“I think we should take you home.” He placed his hand on her lower back.</p>
<p>“No.” She stumbled trying to walk.</p>
<p>“Uh, yeah.” Zuko helped stabilize her enough to get into his car.</p>
<p>He buckled her into her seat and she sat with her arms crossed and her brow furrowed.</p>
<p>Zuko took his place at the wheel and started the car.</p>
<p>“You know Zuko, you’re a v-very g-good k-kisser.” Katara burped shortly after.</p>
<p>Zuko was taken aback by her comment and he blushed.</p>
<p>He kept having to remind himself she was drunk, and that’s why she was openly saying all these things.</p>
<p>“Oh really?” Zuko mused, he chuckled a bit.</p>
<p>“Oh yeah, t-that w-was the b-best kiss, I’d ever had.” Katara smiled wide.</p>
<p>He looked from the road to Katara for a moment. Her eyes were squinted and she slouched in her seat. She played with the rings on her fingers.</p>
<p>“You’re not so bad yourself.” Zuko replied, amused by the conversation.</p>
<p>“Why thank you very much.” Katara looked to Zuko right as he looked away.</p>
<p>Zuko focused his eyes on the road. He wondered what else he should say to Katara. He knew most of their serious conversations would need to happen when she was sober.</p>
<p>“You know, Katara, I’m not gonna leave you. I don’t plan on doing that.” Zuko decided to say.</p>
<p>She was quiet for a moment.</p>
<p>“But you’ll have to. I-In the fall, f-for college.”</p>
<p>Zuko realized that was inevitable. He wondered if that's what she was thinking of this whole time, and if that was the sole reason for her abrupt exit from the car the other day.</p>
<p>“That’s some time away.”</p>
<p>She was quiet for another moment.</p>
<p>He looked over, and Katara had fallen asleep in her seat. He felt a smirk pull at the corner of his lips.</p>
<p>She was a hurricane of emotion just a few moments ago, and suddenly, she was so serene, her mind was in a tranquil place--asleep.</p>
<p>Zuko pulled up to her house. Before exiting the car, he dug around in her purse to find her keys. Once he found them, he took Katara in his arms. He carried her to the front porch and managed to unlock the door. After doing so, he tip toed through her house and took her up to her room.</p>
<p>He laid her down on her bed.</p>
<p>He didn’t want to change her clothes, but decided to slip her arms through his jacket so she would be warmer. He placed her bed sheets over her.</p>
<p>He gazed at her, her chest slowly fell and rose with her breath, her eyes were closed ever so gently.</p>
<p>He leaned down and kissed her on the forehead.</p>
<p>“Goodnight, Katara.” He said in a low voice.</p>
<p>To his surprise her eyes opened slowly, and barely.</p>
<p>She squinted, and grabbed his hand.</p>
<p>“Please don’t go.” She muttered.</p>
<p>Unable to say 'no' to her, he sat on the ground next to her bed and leaned his back against her night stand.</p>
<p>“I’m not going anywhere.” He said, her hand still grasping his tightly.</p>
<p>She maneuvered in her bed to her side so she could face him. Her eyes met his before they slowly shut.</p>
<p>Zuko planned to only stay by her side until she was fast asleep and until her grasp on his hand loosened…though it didn’t take long for Zuko’s eyes to become heavy. And, before he even knew it, he was fast asleep holding Katara’s hand.</p>
<hr/>
<p>Katara woke up with a headache. She sat up in her bed frantically. She looked around, unable to remember most of the night prior’s events. The last thing she remembered was hanging out with Suki at the party. She concluded Suki must have brought her home and tucked her in.</p>
<p>Then she looked down and noticed she was wearing an unfamiliar jacket. Something else was familiar though, <em>its scent.</em></p>
<p>Katara nuzzled her nose in its sleeve, smelling a familiar cologne accompanied by cigarette smoke.</p>
<p>
  <em>Zuko.</em>
</p>
<p>“Shit.” She said under her breath.</p>
<p>She slung her feet off the side of her bed, and as she did, she hit something.</p>
<p>She looked down, and there he was, Zuko, sleeping sitting up against her bed side table.</p>
<p>“Zuko?” Katara inquired.</p>
<p>He was fast asleep.</p>
<p>Her heart beat sped up.</p>
<p>
  <em>What was he doing here?</em>
</p>
<p>“Zuko?” She said again a little louder.</p>
<p>He didn’t budge.</p>
<p>All of the sudden, she heard footsteps approaching her room.</p>
<p>“Katara?” She heard her Gran’s voice getting closer.</p>
<p>“Fuck.” She said to herself.</p>
<p>She knelt down on the ground and shook Zuko.</p>
<p>“Zuko!” She said again.</p>
<p>Finally, his eyes opened.</p>
<p>“K-Katara.” He stammered, he scratched the top of his head.</p>
<p>“Morning, sleepyhead. Get under my bed. Now.”</p>
<p>“Huh?”</p>
<p>Katara rolled him under her bed and he grunted as she did so.</p>
<p>“Katara!” Gran hollered again.</p>
<p>The door knob began to turn.</p>
<p>Katara ran to the door and opened it quickly. She stood in the doorway.</p>
<p>“You’re off to work?” Katara asked, she fake smiled, trying to act natural.</p>
<p>Gran cocked an eyebrow.</p>
<p>“Yeah.” She replied.</p>
<p>Gran looked down.</p>
<p>“New jacket?”</p>
<p>Katara’s stomach turned.</p>
<p>“Just, um, a friend let me borrow it.” Katara improvised.</p>
<p>Gran was obviously suspicious, but Katara knew she wouldn’t pry any further since she needed to go to work.</p>
<p>“Very well. I’ll see you tonight. Make sure you and your brother are filling out your resumes for your college applications.”</p>
<p>“Of course. See ya. Love you.” Katara nodded as Gran turned the other way.</p>
<p>“Love you!” She hollered as she descended down the stairs.</p>
<p>Katara inhaled and exhaled a sigh of relief as she shut her door.</p>
<p>“Zuko, what the hell.” Katara sat on her bed and buried her head in her hands.</p>
<p>Zuko climbed out from under her bed, he hit his head in the process of doing so.</p>
<p>“Shit.” He rubbed where he hit it.</p>
<p>Zuko took a seat next to her on the bed.</p>
<p>Katara was freaking out, her mind was going a million miles a minute, conjuring up all the possibilities of the night prior.</p>
<p>“We didn’t…we didn’t…did we?” Katara turned to him, hoping he caught on to what she meant.</p>
<p>Zuko’s eyes grew wide.</p>
<p>“God, no…no.” He assured her, he scooted away slightly to give her space.</p>
<p>She tried her hardest to remember.</p>
<p>“What happened?” She finally asked.</p>
<p>Katara turned to him, he looked concerned.</p>
<p>“I went to the party, late last night, I saw you, and you were shitfaced…” Zuko trailed off.</p>
<p>“Yeah, I figured.” Katara placed a hand on her head.</p>
<p>“Why did you sleep here?” She continued.</p>
<p>“You asked me to stay, I did. I was only planning on staying until you fell asleep…but I guess I dozed off.” Zuko concluded. He rubbed his head where he had hit it earlier.</p>
<p>Katara nodded slowly, she still didn’t really remember.</p>
<p>“You, uh, you don’t remember anything?” Zuko asked, he seemed disappointed.</p>
<p>Katara just shook her head, she was obviously a little frustrated.</p>
<p>“Maybe, I should go. You had a long night.” Zuko stood up.</p>
<p>“Wait, I wanna know what else happened.” Katara stood as well.</p>
<p>He just shrugged.</p>
<p>“Listen, Zuko, about the other day, after we kissed…”</p>
<p>“Really, we should talk about this later.” He insisted.</p>
<p>Katara gave in, she realized with her thumping head and upset stomach, it was probably for the best.</p>
<p>She nodded, sitting back on her bed.</p>
<p>“Take something for your head, ok? And when you’re feeling better, come here…” Zuko trailed off, he looked around the room. He finally spotted a pen and paper, and he wrote his address down, and then gave it to her.</p>
<p>“Ok.” Her lips formed a very small smile.</p>
<p>Zuko walked toward the door, she watched as he did so.</p>
<p>“Oh, and Katara?” He turned around.</p>
<p>“Hm?” She hummed in response.</p>
<p>“I’m not gonna leave you.”</p>
<p>Katara felt her heart flutter. She knew she must have said something last night.</p>
<p>“Zuko…”</p>
<p>She stood up.</p>
<p>“Get some rest.” He said, before shutting the door behind him.</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>AHHH another update!! what do you guys think?? thanks for reading :')</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0012"><h2>12. Chapter 12</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>hello, so there are a few heavy topics this chapter so here's a tw in advance-- talk of gun violence, alcoholism, death of a loved one, domestic abuse, child abuse</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>It was late afternoon by the time Katara arrived at Zuko’s house. Sokka let her borrow his car, so she parked in the street in front of the house.</p>
<p>As she approached the house, she couldn’t help but feel nervous about talking with Zuko. She knew she needed to talk with him about their kiss and everything else…but the idea of articulating how she felt was daunting. On top of that, she was still pretty much clueless of the prior night’s events.</p>
<p>Once at the front door, she knocked twice.</p>
<p>She examined his house.</p>
<p>It was large, his family definitely was making good money, and it was in a neighborhood a little away from hers. She realized as she waited for someone to answer the door that she didn’t know much at all about Zuko’s family.</p>
<p>The door swung open, and to Katara’s surprise it was Azula.</p>
<p>“Oh. Hi Azula, is Zuko home?” Katara inquired, she looked over Azula’s shoulder into the house. From what she saw it was plain and the furnishings were minimal.</p>
<p>Azula examined Katara up and down.</p>
<p>“He didn’t tell you?” Azula crossed her arms.</p>
<p>Katara just shook her head, confused about what she meant.</p>
<p>Azula sighed.</p>
<p>She walked out of the front door and shut it behind her.</p>
<p>After doing so, she walked down the porch’s stairs and began to walk to the opposite side of the house.</p>
<p>Katara assumed she should follow, so she did.</p>
<p>Azula led her to their backyard, which was quite spacious, but in the back corner there was a small guest house, partially resembling a shack.</p>
<p>Azula approached the house and opened the door without knocking.</p>
<p>The door opened and Zuko was on the other side, he was sitting on his bed. He had his head set on, but he flinched and took it off as soon as the door was ajar.</p>
<p>“Christ, Azula.” He said.</p>
<p>“You should be thanking me. I answered the door.” Azula replied, gesturing Katara to go inside.</p>
<p>Zuko’s eyes grew wide at the sight of Katara.</p>
<p>“Shit…yeah, uh, thanks.” Zuko stood up from his bed.</p>
<p>Katara’s thoughts of confusion only multiplied.</p>
<p>“Next time you invite a friend over make sure to tell them to enter through the back.” Azula rolled her eyes before slamming the door.</p>
<p>Katara folded her hands and played with her fingers nervously.</p>
<p>
  <em>Maybe this wasn’t such a good idea.</em>
</p>
<p>“I’m sorry…I didn’t—“</p>
<p>“No, Katara it’s my fault I forgot to tell you.” Zuko interrupted.</p>
<p>Katara just nodded slowly.</p>
<p>She examined the guest house. She noted it wasn’t minimalistic at all like she had observed from her brief glance into the big house. He had posters, trinkets, his bed was quite large in the middle. He had a record player, a stereo, his desk had many little objects that she felt like she could look through and ask him about for hours.</p>
<p>She also noticed a mini fridge, and that he didn’t have a closet. Some of his jackets and shirts were hung on a railing by the door, and there was a small dresser with drawers which is where she assumed he kept the rest of his clothing.</p>
<p>“So, you live here?” She asked, she began to walk around, examining her surroundings further.</p>
<p>“Yeah, sorry, it’s kind of a mess.” He sounded too apologetic for Katara’s liking.</p>
<p>“I don’t think so, you just, have a lot of stuff.” Katara observed.</p>
<p>She glanced down at all of his little gadgets and decorations. It was all very unique to him, if she were to look at this living space without knowing it was Zuko's she'd still be able to guess right off the bat that it was his.</p>
<p>The air also smelled of cigarettes and his cologne.</p>
<p>“Yeah, I guess I do.” He responded.</p>
<p>Katara picked up a box of tea bags, with a golden emblem that said ‘Dragon Diner’. The box was placed next to a jar of tea leaves with the same emblem.</p>
<p>“Courtesy of Iroh?” Katara glanced back to Zuko with a smile.</p>
<p>Zuko returned her expression and nodded.</p>
<p>“Jasmine’s my favorite. Uncle always keeps me stocked.” He explained.</p>
<p>“Jasmine’s pretty good.” Katara placed the box back down on his desk.</p>
<p>“Do you-uh-want some?” Zuko walked closer, nearly tripping over the foot of his bed.</p>
<p>Katara looked to Zuko and then glanced to the other side of his desk where an electric tea kettle sat.</p>
<p>“Sure.” She nodded.</p>
<p>She sat down on the edge of his bed while he began to start up the tea kettle.</p>
<p>Katara felt butterflies in her stomach for the sole reason of being here with him. She was nervous for their conversations in general, and she couldn’t help but think she was invading his personal space by being in his room, or, house.</p>
<p>“So, uh, why do you live here?” Katara couldn’t help but be curious.</p>
<p>Zuko had his back turned to her as he continued to prepare their tea.</p>
<p>He didn’t answer for awhile.</p>
<p>“My dad…we don’t get along.” Is all he said.</p>
<p>Katara picked up quickly that it was a sensitive subject.</p>
<p>“Well, you’ve really made the best of this space.” She tried to change the subject.</p>
<p>Katara looked around again, she was impressed.</p>
<p>Zuko took a seat next to her after reaching a stopping point in the tea process.</p>
<p>“Thanks. You, Suki, and Sokka did a really cool job with the barn, too.” Zuko turned his head to her.</p>
<p>“Yeah, that was so much fun to do.” Katara smiled as she thought back to the memory.</p>
<p>Zuko nodded.</p>
<p>Katara realized it was time.</p>
<p>“So, about last night. I just…I want to apologize if I said anything…questionable. I-uh-know I can be a little 'out there' when I’m drunk and…I haven’t been that shit faced in awhile to be honest. I’m usually smarter, I was just…” Katara stopped at the unfinished thought.</p>
<p><em>I was just…not in a good head space after realizing how strong my attachment was to you</em>, is what Katara said in her head.</p>
<p>“And…thank you for taking care of me.” Katara continued.</p>
<p>“I was worried about you.” Zuko adjusted in his seat.</p>
<p>“You don’t need to be.” Katara responded rather quickly.</p>
<p>“You kept saying everyone is leaving you, and that I’m gonna leave you…and Katara, I don’t plan on doing that, ok?”</p>
<p>“I was just…I was just drunk.”</p>
<p>“But it’s the truth isn’t it? You’re scared I’ll leave.”</p>
<p>He took the thought right from her head.</p>
<p>She looked away from him.</p>
<p>“I’m not going to. I’m not. And, I know you’ve heard that before, but I mean it.” Zuko spoke, Katara eyes still stared toward the ground.</p>
<p>She didn’t say anything.</p>
<p>“My…my mom. She left me when I was about eleven. She left me and Azula behind. I haven’t heard from her since. I think she was scared and confused and…my dad is just a complete asshole and he was horrible to her. She needed to leave. I just…I just wish she would have brought us with her.” Zuko got up from his seat and went back to the tea kettle.</p>
<p>Katara looked at him, his back turned to her.</p>
<p>
  <em> She had no idea.</em>
</p>
<p>She felt tears begin to well at her eyes.</p>
<p>“He’d hurt her. And he uh… hurt…me.” Zuko turned around and pointed to his scar</p>
<p>Katara’s heart broke, her chest felt heavy.</p>
<p>“Zuko…” She stood up.</p>
<p>His back was still turned.</p>
<p>“He’s an alcoholic…but you know, we don’t choose who our parents are. I’m just…I just…I’m never going to be like him, and as soon as I graduate, I’m leaving this house and him and never coming back. Ever.” Zuko turned around with two cups of tea in his hand.</p>
<p>He gave one to Katara, she noticed he avoided eye contact as he did so.</p>
<p>“Maybe you could find your mom.” Katara spoke. She hoped that was alright to say.</p>
<p>She knew an ‘I’m sorry’ wasn’t quite the right reply.</p>
<p>“Maybe.” Zuko nodded.</p>
<p>“You’re so strong.” She responded quickly.</p>
<p>He said nothing, but his eyes finally met hers.</p>
<p>“My mom died when I was seven.” Katara blurted out.</p>
<p>She shook her head before sitting on the edge of the bed once more.</p>
<p>“It was an armed robbery. In our house. Out of all the houses in our neighborhood…in the world...had to be ours. Have to be pretty unlucky for that, huh?” She sniffled.</p>
<p>Zuko stayed quiet as he took a seat next to her.</p>
<p>“We all woke up in the middle of the night to glass shattering. My mom told me and Sokka to hide in the closet, that her and dad would handle it. But…I wanted to make sure they were ok. So, I left the closet. Sokka tried to stop me, but I wasn’t going to.”</p>
<p>Katara paused.</p>
<p>She’d never told anyone this story. Not even Suki or Aang. They both knew her mom had died in an armed robbery, but Katara never shared with them in detail how it happened.</p>
<p>“I went down the stairs and…locked eyes with the shooter. I remember it clearly, how scary he looked. I stopped. My mom told me to go back upstairs. I wouldn’t.”</p>
<p>She paused again and glanced down to the tea, its steam slowly escaped from the rim of the cup.</p>
<p>“He said, ‘You said no one else was in the house’. Which was when I knew she lied, to protect us. My dad was just on the ground helpless, held by another one of the robbers. He struggled, but the guy was strong. They wanted more money than we were ever able to give them…and every item of value in the house. I was… frozen on the stairs before finally turning around and doing what she had said. When I got to the top, I heard a gun shot. She was gone.” Katara finished.</p>
<p>She placed her cup on the desk and stood up. She crossed her arms, as if to embrace herself.</p>
<p>There was a moment of silence, and to Katara, it was deafening. She had never spoken of that night in such detail before.</p>
<p>“Your mother was a brave woman.” Zuko broke the silence.</p>
<p>Katara turned around.</p>
<p>“I know.” She said quietly.</p>
<p>“My dad…” She continued, “He joined the military shortly after. It was selfish. We needed him. <em>I </em>needed him. He left. And I know why. Sokka and I remind him of mom. God, when he comes to see us, I can tell by the way he looks at me like I’m…” She sat back down on the bed, next to Zuko.</p>
<p>“I wanted to tell you.” She took a sip of her tea.</p>
<p>“Yeah, I’m scared of people leaving. My dad did, my mom’s gone. Suki and I are definitely going to different colleges, I hope to stay in contact, but nothing lasts forever. Toph and Aang are staying here, they have the rest of high school to figure out. Sokka has his own future ahead of him, he has his own shit to do. I just…don’t want to become close to someone else who will leave just like everyone else. Nothing in my life has ever been constant, and I know that life is always ever-changing but I—”</p>
<p>“What if I don’t leave?” Zuko interrupted</p>
<p>“You will.”</p>
<p>“What if I don’t?</p>
<p>“You will,” Katara repeated, “and it’s so fucking hard because…listening to music with you, dancing with you, seeing you smile, talking with you…kissing you…God, Zuko, just being with you has been so amazing. I really, really like you.”</p>
<p>Zuko placed his cup down and stood up.</p>
<p>“Well, then don’t push me away, damn it. I’m not going to leave you, Katara. I’m not. Honestly, you’re gonna wish you could get rid of me, because I’m not going anywhere.” He paced.</p>
<p>Katara stood up.</p>
<p>“You said you were falling for me last night.” He said quickly.</p>
<p>Katara’s heart fluttered.</p>
<p>
  <em>She said that?</em>
</p>
<p>“Zuko, I was drunk…I…”</p>
<p>“But it’s true, isn’t it?”</p>
<p>He stopped in his tracks.</p>
<p>She looked into his warm amber eyes. She was falling for him—it was inevitable—but she couldn’t admit it…not yet.</p>
<p>She bit the inside of her cheek.</p>
<p>“Katara…” He stepped closer.</p>
<p>“I’m sorry.” She maneuvered past him toward the door.</p>
<p>“Please, don’t leave.” His voice was small, he wrapped his fingers around her wrist gently.</p>
<p>She stopped in her tracks.</p>
<p>
  <em> Don’t leave.</em>
</p>
<p>His words echoed in the abyss of her mind.</p>
<p>Katara turned around slowly, and Zuko let go of her.</p>
<p>She glanced around his room, and spotted a box of vinyls.</p>
<p>“Got anything good?” She wiped the last tear away from her cheek.</p>
<p>She began to browse his collection.</p>
<p>Zuko hovered over her shoulder and reached his hand over hers.</p>
<p>He used two fingers to lift out a certain record from the upright stack.</p>
<p>
  <em>The Psychedelic Furs.</em>
</p>
<p>“Love My Way?” Katara beamed.</p>
<p>Zuko smiled softly and nodded.</p>
<p>She followed him to the record player where he removed the album from the sleeve. He placed it on the player and dropped the needle onto the surface of the vinyl.</p>
<p>The first few notes began to play.</p>
<p>“Our song!” Katara’s eyes grew wide and her smile only expanded.</p>
<p>Zuko’s heartbeat sped up at the phrase.</p>
<p><em>Our song</em>, he thought.</p>
<p>“Yeah.” Zuko agreed.</p>
<p>Katara took his hands into hers. They danced.</p>
<hr/>
<p>“Ooh. That one was good. <em>Especially</em> modern.” Katara mused.</p>
<p>It had been about two hours, and Katara and Zuko lied together on his bed, the Walkman head set between them. They’d been listening to all sorts of music. She held one headphone to her ear, while he held the other. They both stared blankly at the ceiling, taking in the lyrics, beats, and sounds.</p>
<p>“You like that one? That’s like one of my least favorites. It’s too cheesy.” Zuko groaned.</p>
<p>Katara rolled her eyes.</p>
<p>“Yes, Zuko, that was so good. I wanna listen again!” Katara reached for the little blue box.</p>
<p>“Hey!” He grabbed it before she could, “since when did you think you could touch<em> my</em> Walkman.” Zuko joked.</p>
<p>She nudged him in the arm.</p>
<p>“As you wish, though.” Zuko replied, he pressed the rewind button so they could listen again.</p>
<p>The intro for I Melt With You by Modern English began once more, to Katara’s request.</p>
<p>Katara turned to her side so Zuko was in her vision. She stared at him, taking in his features. His fluffy hair, soft skin, bright eyes, his scent, the shape of his hands, the slope of his nose, the creases of his scar.</p>
<p>Zuko turned to his side.</p>
<p>Katara knew she was staring, but she didn’t look away.</p>
<p>Zuko observed her. Her dark hair, big blue eyes, brown skin, rosy cheeks, glossed lips, her little silver earrings, the rounded tip of her nose.</p>
<p>He looked down to her lips, unable to decide if he should kiss her.</p>
<p>The song continued softly in either of their headphones.</p>
<p>Katara adjusted herself so she was a little closer.</p>
<p>They just looked at each other for a moment. After a few seconds, Zuko leaned in and gave her a kiss on the lips. Katara placed her hand on the side of his head as he did so.</p>
<p>He pulled away.</p>
<p>Katara’s hand still rested on his head. Her fingers strung throughout his hair, and her palm on the rim of his cheek.</p>
<p>“I’m falling for you.” She said in a low voice, only for him to hear.</p>
<p>Zuko took her hand from his head and intertwined his fingers with hers.</p>
<p>“I know,” He replied, "and I'm falling for you, too."</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>THEY ADMITTED IT!!! thank you all so much for reading again!! i love your comments and feedback on here and on twitter!! &lt;33 hope everyone is doing well and that you enjoyed this update!!</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0013"><h2>13. Chapter 13</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Katara had left his house hours ago, and Zuko was feeling confident in their relationship and where it was headed. They would figure it all out, and, it definitely felt good for them to both admit they were falling for each other…without the influence of alcohol.</p><p>Zuko sat on his bed, about to listen to some music when Azula barged into the house. She pushed the door open so hard Zuko thought it would fall off its hinges.</p><p>“You know, you could knock.” Zuko was used to it. He rolled his eyes and put his Walkman down.</p><p>“What’s going on with you and Sweet Katara?” Azula crossed her arms and leaned against the doorframe. She raised her voice to a higher tone at 'Sweet Katara'.</p><p>“It’s none of your business.” Zuko glanced to her and then looked away.</p><p>“You’re not planning to date her or anything, are you?” Azula scoffed.</p><p>“Why do you care?” Zuko frowned.</p><p>“She’s the angel of the grade, and you’re the fuck up. You wouldn’t be good for her.” Azula examined her finger nails.</p><p>Her comment hurt him, and she knew it.</p><p>“Why are you even here? Get out! You still have a room in the house.” Zuko stood up.</p><p>“You know I’m right. She was dating <em>Jet</em> before. He may be an asshole but he’s way more of an ‘ideal boyfriend’ to fit her archetype than you are. You may be my brother, and associated with Ty Lee but shitty high school clique wise, you know she’s slumming it with you, right? Do you think she actually cares about you?” Azula smirked, she knew she was getting under Zuko’s skin.</p><p>“You don’t know what you’re talking about.” Zuko’s heartbeat slowed, and his cheeks turned warm.</p><p><em>Azula always lies</em>, he thought to himself.</p><p>He had to use this phrase multiple times as a child. She was always so manipulative and heartless. It was harder to bear without his mother around.</p><p>“Aww, are Zu-Zu’s feelings hurt by the truth? Do Katara a favor and stay the hell away from her, before you fuck up like you always do. Mom, Dad, and Mai can all vouch for that.” Azula placed her hand on the door knob.</p><p>That hurt him, he felt the words seep into his veins like poison.</p><p>“Get the fuck out.” Zuko took a step closer to her.</p><p>She laughed, and it was twisted. She shut the door and left.</p><p>Zuko collapsed on his bed, he groaned. He buried his head into his hands. Azula’s words would not stop ringing from inside his head.</p><p><em>Azula always lies</em>, he told himself, <em>Azula always lies</em>.</p><p>But this time, the phrase didn’t stick as well as it should have.</p><hr/><p>It’d been two days, they hadn’t spoken. Katara wasn’t worried. She wondered if Zuko hadn’t been in contact because of their last conversations that they had together. Sharing childhood traumas and saying ‘I’m falling for you’ is…<em>a lot.</em> Nonetheless, even though Katara wasn’t worried, but she still felt a little off.</p><p>She liked hearing from Zuko and talking to him and just being with him. She was a little nervous that he’d somehow decided to cut her off completely, but she knew he wouldn’t do that.</p><p>
  <em>He wouldn’t.</em>
</p><p>She was sitting at lunch with Sokka and Suki.</p><p>“Have you seen Zuko?” She blurted out suddenly.</p><p>Suki and Sokka looked at each other, their expressions concerned and curious.</p><p>“Um…I haven’t.” Sokka answered, he fidgeted with the fork on his plate.</p><p>“Me neither.” Suki tucked a strand of hair behind her ear.</p><p>Katara slumped in her seat and looked around the sea of people in the cafeteria, she hadn’t seen him either.</p><p>“Did…something…happen?” Suki inquired, she rose an eyebrow.</p><p>Katara tapped the tip of her foot nervously. She hadn’t told Suki about them sharing childhood traumas, let alone sharing their feelings for each other.</p><p>“I just…haven’t seen him around for the past two days.” She slouched, and rested her chin in the palms of her hands while propping her head up with the support of her elbows.</p><p>“Didn’t answer my question…” Suki trailed off and took a sip of her soda.</p><p>“I’ll just, uh, see you guys around.” Katara stood up.</p><p>She threw her lunch trash away and was determined to find Zuko, wherever he was.</p><p>She'd already been to the alley spot for her free period (without him), but she figured he might be there now</p><p>
  <em>Maybe, she was a little worried.</em>
</p><p>Katara went to her locker to put away some books on the way there, and to her surprise, while doing so, she heard a familiar voice.</p><p>“Hey there, Kat.”</p><p>It was <em>Jet.</em></p><p>She turned around.</p><p>“Jet, go away.” She rolled her eyes and shut her locker.</p><p>“You miss me.” He smiled, leaning his back against some other lockers nearby.</p><p>“Quite the opposite actually. I’ve made it clear I want you to leave me alone, so I don’t know why you don’t do so.” Katara crossed her arms and began to walk away.</p><p>“You think having Scar Face beat me up at that party a couple weeks ago was it, huh?”</p><p>“<em>I </em>didn’t have Zuko beat you up, he did it solely based on the fact that you’re an asshole.” Katara frowned.</p><p>“Whatever, it’s just crazy to me you stoop to his level.” Jet chuckled.</p><p>“You’re sick, and you don’t know what you’re talking about.” She glanced down the hall, and suddenly, she saw him.</p><p>
  <em>Zuko.</em>
</p><p>She rose her eyebrows at his sight. Their eyes met through the few feet between them. She felt a small smile pull at her lips at his presence, but Zuko seemed to frown and turned the other way.</p><p>Katara turned to Jet,</p><p>“Just stay the hell away from me, ok?”</p><p>Before he could respond, her shoes were tapping down the hall after Zuko who was walking the other way. He exited through a door--the alley spot door.</p><p>“Zuko!” Katara exclaimed, “where have you been?”</p><p>Zuko turned around toward her and scoffed.</p><p>“What the hell was that?” He gestured to the closing door.</p><p>Katara furrowed her brow,</p><p>“The usual, it was Jet being a douchebag.”</p><p>Katara felt her heart race, he was upset about something, she could tell.</p><p>“Oh really?” He kicked at the gravel on the ground.</p><p>“Alright tell me.” Katara crossed her arms, and looked up to him.</p><p>He said nothing.</p><p>“Tell me what’s going on, I know you’re upset. I was okay with giving you space since the last time we saw each other…was…a lot, but why are you acting like this?” Katara was nervous for his response.</p><p>“I’m not good for you.” Zuko couldn’t help but hear Azula’s voice in his head.</p><p>Katara’s heart fell into her stomach.</p><p>“Stop it.” She demanded.</p><p>He was surprised by her response.</p><p>“I’m not part of your crowd. You don’t want me as a boyfriend.” Zuko continued on.</p><p>“‘Crowd’? Zuko, what the hell are you even talking about?” Katara felt tears well at her eyes.</p><p>“Y-You need someone like-like that,” He gestured his arm to the door, “maybe not Jet exactly, but…but not me. Not some guy with a fucked up face, a fucked up life, and a tendency to fuck up, ok?”</p><p>Katara’s eyes were watery, she didn’t know what to say, where to start. She didn’t know Zuko thought this lowly of himself.</p><p>“Your-your face isn’t fucked up.” Was the first thing she was able to muster up.</p><p>“Yes it is.” He replied quickly, gesturing to his scar.</p><p>“Stop it,” She demanded, “you don’t have a tendency to fuck up.”</p><p>“Yes I do.” He continued to argue.</p><p>Katara shoved him backward, he stumbled slightly.</p><p>“And-And don’t tell me about what I need, what I want!” She exclaimed.</p><p>Zuko’s eyes grew wide.</p><p>“My whole life people have been telling me about what I need, what I should want, who I should be, who I should hang out with—and I’m sick and tired of it. You know what I need?”</p><p>Zuko was anxious, he thought what he was doing was good for Katara. He only wanted to tell her how he felt, and he really did think she deserved better. He stood frozen, his mouth slightly agape. He knew Katara was a storm of surprises, he just wasn’t expecting a hurricane in the forecast today.</p><p>“God, Zuko, I need you!” Her voice was raised, “and your-your face is beautiful, and to be honest, you’re the least fucked up thing about my life! And you know what? You know what I want? I want you to stay like you said you would, I want what you said to me to be real and I—”</p><p>Zuko, unable to truly express his reaction to what she was saying with words, suddenly cupped her cheeks with his hands and kissed her.</p><p>“I’m sorry, I’m sorry, I’m sorry.” He said between kisses.</p><p>Katara wrapped her arms around his neck, her tears had ceased.</p><p>He pulled away from her lips and rested his forehead against hers, his eyes looked defeated.</p><p>“It was…it was Azula.” He sighed.</p><p>“Azula?” Katara caressed his cheek, her fingers passing down the little creases of his scar.</p><p>He let go of her and took a step back.</p><p>“She said…that you deserve someone better, that I don’t fit your ‘ideal boyfriend’ archetype, and that I’d be doing you a favor if I stayed away from you.” Zuko’s eyes were glossy, Katara had never seen him cry, and she didn’t want to.</p><p>“That was a lie.”</p><p>“Azula always lies.”</p><p>Katara took a step forward.</p><p>“You weren’t doing me any favors by staying away. Hell, these past couple days where I hadn’t heard from you, well, it made me sort of sad. It wasn't better foe me.” Katara tucked began to play with the ends of her hair.</p><p>“I don’t want to make you sad. I want you to be happy.”</p><p>“Then stay. You’re exactly my idea of an ‘ideal boyfriend.”</p><p>Katara’s eyes glanced to him, he was looking to her.</p><p>“Really?”</p><p>“Really.”</p><p>Katara wanted so badly to list all the amazing things about him, to remind him of his worth. It seemed no one had done that in awhile, ever, even.</p><p>“So…you’d want me to…be…your boyfriend.” He scratched the back of his head.</p><p>Katara’s heart fluttered, of course she did. But, the idea of it coming to life, right now, right this second, was <em>a lot</em>. She hadn’t even told Suki of their declaration of feelings, and she knew Sokka, Aang, and Toph would lose their minds if her and Zuko just started being ‘boyfriend and girlfriend’ out of nowhere. There was also her whole debacle in the first place—the possibility they’ll move away from each other in the fall when college comes around.</p><p>“Well…” Katara looked down, “…yes, but…”</p><p>“But?” Zuko's tone was defeated.</p><p>“It’s complicated, Zuko.” Katara replied.</p><p>“You didn’t have to lie.” Zuko crossed his arms.</p><p>“Lie? About what?”</p><p>“You said that I was…exactly your idea of an ‘ideal boyfriend’, but now you’re saying it’s complicated.” Zuko sighed.</p><p>“But, you are, Zuko. You are.” Katara stepped closer.</p><p>He said nothing.</p><p>“There’s just…some stuff. I need to talk to Suki, well, and you know…a committed relationship can be a lot when we’re potentially going to different colleges in the fall, and you know how I feel about that.” Katara didn’t want to say anything else.</p><p>Zuko was quiet. He took a few steps toward the door.</p><p>“Wait, no, Zuko, please.” She took his hand.</p><p>He stopped.</p><p>“I really like you. I really do. I want to be with you.” She intertwined her fingers with his loosely.</p><p>“It wasn’t a lie.” Katara spoke quietly.</p><p>He glanced to her, “I know.”</p><p>She took a breath in.</p><p>He let go of her hand.</p><p>She breathed out.</p><p>“I’ll see you around, ok?”</p><p>“Wait, but I…I…” Katara didn’t know what to say.</p><p>He went through the door, letting it shut behind him.</p><p>“Fuck.” She was alone.</p><hr/><p>Suki laid out on Katara’s bed, her limbs sprawled about as she stared at the posters on Katara’s bedroom ceiling.</p><p>“I can’t believe you’re just now telling me.” Suki sighed, still gazing at the colors and people on the posters.</p><p>“Suki, I don’t know what to do.” Katara sat down on the bed next to her.</p><p>“You know, you really amaze me sometimes, Katara.” Suki sat up.</p><p>Katara furrowed her brow, confused.</p><p>“It amazes me that someone as smart as you can be so dense sometimes.” Suki elaborated. She cocked an eyebrow, waiting for Katara’s response.</p><p>“What?” Katara was frustrated.</p><p>“God, Katara, he’s not just falling for you, he’s in love with you!” Suki took Katara by the shoulders and shook her.</p><p>Katara’s heart fell, and her stomach filled with butterflies at the mere phrase of ‘in love’.</p><p>“You’re ridiculous.” Katara stood up.</p><p>“I’m starting to wonder if you’re in love with him, too.” Suki smiled suggestively.</p><p>Katara blushed.</p><p>“And, you wonder why it took so long for me to tell you…you say stuff, like-like that!” Katara scoffed and crossed her arms.</p><p>“Kiddo, I’m just telling you how it is. I’m just in awe that you fell for each other in such a short amount of time. I mean, Sokka and I haven’t even dropped the L-word yet.” Suki collapsed back onto Katara’s bed, mindlessly staring at the ceiling once more.</p><p>“Suki, we aren’t in love. I mean, we do have feelings for each other…we’re just confused.” Katara sat back onto the bed. She fiddled with the loose threads of her sweater.</p><p>“No, no, no. You’re confused, and you shouldn’t be.”</p><p>“What do you mean?”</p><p>“You know how fast he was to suddenly remove himself from your life? Sure, what Azula told him was complete bullshit…totally giving her dirty glances at the next party…but did you even take a second to realize what he was doing? It was so selfless…he wants the best for you, he wants you to be happy, and a single thought—ONE—was forced into his brain that said he was someone who could hold you back…and you know what he did with that false possibility? He took it so seriously that he got up, threw everything aside, and was completely ready to leave your life forever…if <em>you’d</em> be happy with it. Don’t you see that?! He loves you, so fucking much. He didn't care about anything else, but <em>you!</em>” Suki sat up.</p><p>Katara buried her face in her hands.</p><p>“Oh God…” She trailed off.</p><p>“Yeah.” Suki placed a hand on Katara’s shoulder.</p><p>“This is some out of this world romance shit. It’s honestly beyond that.” Suki threw her hands in the air.</p><p>“What do I do? Fuck, fuck, fuck.” Katara stood up.</p><p>“Well, first, stop freaking out, this is something to be happy about. Someone is unconditionally in love with you…even if he hasn’t admitted it. What you do is…you talk to him, you keep him in your life.” Suki sat on the edge of the bed.</p><p>Katara was quiet, processing what Suki had said. She never thought about it like that, and as much as she liked the fact Zuko potentially thought about her this way, she still felt uneasy.</p><p>“I feel like shit. I…I left something out, Suki.” Katara sat next to her.</p><p>“Oh, God, what did you leave out? Katara you’ve gotta tell me everything.”</p><p>“He basically asked me to be his girlfriend.”</p><p>“Holy fucking shit. Figures. FIGURES. I was right. And you said ‘no’, didn’t you?”</p><p>“Well, not exactly…"</p><p>“Katara what did you tell that poor boy?”</p><p>“I said it was complicated, and that I didn’t know if I wanted a committed relationship before college…and—“</p><p>“Lord, give me strength.” Suki stood up, in front of Katara.</p><p>“Katara, listen, I love you, but this isn’t complicated. You like him, he likes you…you date. I know that you don’t trust people right away and that you’re scared people will leave you, and you have every right to be scared. But, this guy, he’s not going fucking anywhere. He loves you, he’s shown so. He’s just as scared as you are, he is, but he knows your worth it. And, if you let him walk away, he’s going to be out of your life forever, do you want that? Don’t you want your John Cusack in <em>Say Anything</em> type of love? Because he’s offering it to you with open arms.” Suki sighed.</p><p>“But…” Katara started.</p><p>“No ‘but’s. And if you’re scared about the whole college thing, what if you guys go to the same school? Have you ever considered…keeping in contact?” Suki half smiled.</p><p>“You’re right! Ok?! You’re right." Suki celebrated quietly, "I’m thinking way too much. I wouldn’t be surprised if he just…stopped talking to me altogether.” Katara stood up, she crossed her arms.</p><p>She glanced over to her dresser, and saw the mixtape he made her.</p><p>
  <strong> <em>KATARA’S MIX</em> </strong>
</p><p>
  <strong> <em>FROM ZUKO</em> </strong>
</p><p>“Oh, he’s not going anywhere. The only way you’d get him to leave is if you told him, straight up, 'I never want to see you again.'”</p><p>Katara just nodded, she felt lucky to have Suki. With Katara’s past and fears, she needed someone with a clear head to confide in, to call her out when she was being irrational, especially when it came to people she cared about.</p><p>“Katara! There’s someone here to see you!” Katara heard her Gran-Gran holler up the stairs.</p><p>Suki’s eyes grew wide and she smiled.</p><p>“I bet a pack of Bottle Caps it’s Zuko. It totally is.”</p><p>“Shit, what do I do?”</p><p>“Katara, never, ever, let him go.”</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>omg hope you guys like this chapter :) definitely some movement going on!! lmk what you think! thanks again for reading &lt;33</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0014"><h2>14. Chapter 14</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Katara and Suki descended down the stairs together. They walked toward the dining room where Sokka was sitting next to someone at the table…and it wasn’t Zuko.</p><p>“Dad?” Katara’s head began to ache from the sudden change of events.</p><p>“Katara.” He stood, and he smiled.</p><p>Katara looked over to Suki, she shrugged.</p><p>Katara’s father opened his arms wide, waiting for Katara’s embrace. She hesitantly wrapped her arms around him, but then let go quickly.</p><p>He was her father, she was happy to see him—of course—but this was so sudden. She usually only saw him for special occasions. On top of that, the more she saw him, the harder it became to push away the negativity, confusion, and pain she associated with him. Katara noted Sokka didn’t feel this way at all, and pretty much worshipped their father.<span class="Apple-converted-space"> She noticed the look on Sokka's face </span>mirrored pure happiness, and that fact only made it harder for her. </p><p>“Suki, Sokka tells me you two are an item now.” Hakoda sat back down and looked to Suki.</p><p>“Yes, we are.” Suki chuckled.</p><p>“Why don’t you stay for dinner?” He offered.</p><p>“Oh…I don’t want to intrude—“</p><p>“It’s not intruding. Come on, sit next to me.” Sokka smiled wide.</p><p>Suki looked to Katara before taking a seat next to him.</p><p>“It’ll be about ten minutes or so! These darn sea prunes…I’m trying to get them perfect!” Gran-Gran hollered from the kitchen.</p><p>Katara stood frozen in the doorway of the dining room, unable to process what was happening.</p><p>“Katara, why don’t you sit down.” Her father’s tone was warm and kind.</p><p>Katara was reluctant.</p><p>Before she could reply, there was a knock at the front door.</p><p><em>Is it…</em> her mind trailed off.</p><p>“I’ll get it.” Katara turned the opposite direction.</p><p>“Are you expecting anyone?” Hakoda asked as she walked away.</p><p>Katara went through their living room, passing by the staircase. She placed her hand on the knob and opened the door.</p><p>It was Zuko. His hair was slightly messy, he wore his usual outfit of choice, a plaid flannel, accompanied by jeans and boots.</p><p>“Katara, hi.” He spoke quickly as soon as the door was ajar.</p><p>He came, but at the wrong time.</p><p>Katara’s eyes grew wide, and her cheeks turned pink.</p><p>“Zuko, this isn’t a good time—“</p><p>“No, please Katara listen, I wanted to talk to you…I understand that—“</p><p>“Who is this?” Katara felt the sudden presence of her father behind her.</p><p>Her chest felt heavy, like she would stop breathing at any minute.</p><p>“Oh, uh, Dad, this is Zuko. Zuko, this is my father.” Katara introduced halfheartedly.</p><p>Zuko rose his eyebrows, surprise became a prominent expression upon his face.</p><p>“Nice to meet you, Mr…” Zuko gestured his hand to Hakoda.</p><p>“Please, just call me Hakoda.” They shook hands.</p><p>“Are you Katara’s boyfriend?”</p><p>Katara’s heart stopped.</p><p>“No.” They both said at once.</p><p>There was a pause, a slightly awkward one.</p><p>“I…uh...I wish, sir.” Zuko chuckled, glancing to Katara.</p><p>“Shut up.” She nudged him, her cheeks still bright pink.</p><p>Hakoda laughed and glanced to him and then to Katara.</p><p>“Well, come on in, we’re sitting down for dinner. I hope you’re hungry.” Hakoda gestured for him to come inside as he walked back toward the dining room.</p><p>“You don’t…have to stay.” Katara spoke quietly.</p><p>“Do you…want me to?” Zuko scratched the back of his head.</p><p>Katara looked into his warm golden eyes and felt comforted by his presence, of course she wanted him to stay, she was just nervous. It was <em>her father</em> who was there and it felt weird seeing him, and even weirder introducing him to Zuko.</p><p>Katara just nodded.</p><p>He entered the house and she shut the door behind him.</p><p>“Are you ok?” He leaned toward her ear, and spoke in a hushed tone.</p><p>She took his hand loosely into hers and guided him toward the dining room.</p><p>She didn’t answer his question.</p><p>“Zuko!” Suki exclaimed when she saw him.</p><p>Suki beamed at Katara, and with that, she knew she would be giving Suki a pack of Bottlecaps later.</p><p>“Hi Suki.” Zuko half smiled and then looked at Katara.</p><p>Katara took a seat across from her father and Zuko sat beside her.</p><p>“So, you know Zuko too?” Hakoda glanced to Suki.</p><p>“Oh…yeah, him and Katara have gotten to be really good friends, so he’s tagged along when we all go out. We actually all went to a movie the other night, with Toph and Aang.” Suki’s conversation was friendly and flowed well.</p><p>She was really good in social settings, a skill both Katara and Zuko envied.</p><p>“Oh, that’s wonderful. I gotta get down to the theater some time, it’s been awhile. Unfortunately, I’m only here for the night, and then I’ll be gone…but…next time.” Hakoda took a sip from his water glass.</p><p>“Yeah, uh, Dad, what brings you back in the first place?” Katara nervously fiddled with the corner of her napkin. Zuko noticed this, and noted she was nervous, or stressed about something.</p><p>“Well, I’m traveling to a different base, and the route took us through here…so I thought I’d stop by and say hello before I’m on my way again.”</p><p>Katara nodded.</p><p>Gran-Gran came in, she placed platters of different food on the middle of the table. After doing so, she sat at the head of the table. She looked at Zuko, and her eyes grew wide.</p><p>“Now, who is this?” She grinned.</p><p>“Oh, Gran, this is Zuko.” They shook hands.</p><p>“Are you two an item? I wondered if Katara had someone new, that Jet fellow was—“</p><p>“No, Gran-Gran we’re just friends.” Katara interrupted.</p><p>“It’s nice to meet you.” Zuko gave Gran a small smile.</p><p>“You as well.”</p><p>They ate.</p><p>Sokka ate the most out of everyone, going back for extra portions of each food every few minutes. Gran claimed he could have cleaned all of the platters himself.</p><p>Katara ate the least. Her grandmother’s sea prunes were usually her favorite, but it was hard to eat with her father sitting across from her, and the boy she was falling in love with sitting next to her.</p><p>They talked.</p><p>The conversation was light. Gran brought up some of Sokka’s shenanigans, which Hakoda was more congratulatory about than disciplinary, which was expected. Hakoda was fascinated by the fireworks story and wished he could have been there next to Sokka setting them off.</p><p>Hakoda had asked Zuko about himself, and Zuko was vague. Zuko didn’t like talking much about his family, so he talked about some of his college hopes and plans, some of his favorite music, and Hakoda was interested.</p><p>Suki added thoughtful insight into all different parts of the conversations, making some jokes here and there. It was comfortable, but somehow, Katara wasn’t. She was quiet.</p><p>It wasn’t until Hakoda spoke to her specifically that she fully mirrored how she felt.</p><p>“So, Katara, what about you? What’s new?”</p><p>Katara’s father looked to her, his blue eyes rested on her, and she saw the way he looked at her…like she was…<em>her mother. </em></p><p>But <em>she wasn’t</em>, and she still never forgave him for leaving them, she still never forgave him for leaving<em> her</em>. All of the holidays, occasions, and special times he had come home were piling up, and she could no longer ignore the fact that deep down, she was upset with him and that she couldn't look at him without feeling like crying.</p><p>For him to spring himself into their house, without warning, it was a lot. It was like a ghost had walked into her house, and this time, she couldn’t ignore its presence and pass it off as a cold breeze, it had to be dealt with. Katara knew this, and yet, she still ran.</p><p>“Excuse me.” Katara’s voice wavered.</p><p>She stood up from the table and left the dining room. Her footsteps were heard as they went up the staircase.</p><p>The dining room table was quiet, it seemed all of them knew Katara was acting odd, and that she was bound to dismiss herself from the table eventually.</p><p>Zuko stood up from his seat.</p><p>“I…I can go talk to her.”</p><p>Everyone at the table gazed at him for a moment, before he excused himself. He found himself climbing up the stairs to Katara’s room.</p><p>He stood at her door, it was slightly cracked. He knocked twice.</p><p>“I don’t wanna talk to you, Dad.” Zuko heard a voice quietly from the other side of the door.</p><p>“It’s me.” Zuko placed his hand on the knob, he slowly opened the door.</p><p>She was curled up on her bed, hugging a pillow. She laid on her side, her hair sprawled throughout the sheets and her eyes gazed out her window.</p><p>As Zuko closed the door behind him, she sat up and looked toward him.</p><p>He turned around, and looked into her blue eyes, Zuko thought prior to coming in that she might have been crying, but she hadn’t been. Her makeup was still perfectly applied, but her eyes still somehow looked sad. He took a seat next to her.</p><p>As soon as he did, Katara laid her head on his shoulder and she took one of his hands. With his one hand, she used both of hers and began to trace the lines of his palm and fingers.</p><p>Katara noted his hands were warm and hers were cold.</p><p>She adjusted her head on his shoulder, and continued with the fascination of his palm.</p><p>“What’s wrong?” He spoke in a hushed tone.</p><p>She was quiet.</p><p>“It’s my dad. He just…” She sat up from his shoulder, and let his hand go. She stood and began to pace back and forth in front of him.</p><p>“He came here out of nowhere, and…it’s just these past years, I’ve just tried to ignore how I feel…ignore the fact that he left me, ignore the fact that he’s selfish and abandoned his own children…and he comes here acting like nothing’s wrong and then looking at me like I’m…like I’m…”</p><p>She couldn’t say it, but Zuko knew.</p><p>He stood up, towering over Katara’s small, fragile figure.</p><p>“Have you talked to him about this? Do you want to talk to him about this?”</p><p>Katara stopped pacing, she crossed her arms and stared at the ground.</p><p>“I suppose…I should.”</p><p>“You should do what makes you comfortable, what makes you happy. I mean, it seems like your dad…he wants the best for you. I’m sure if he knew how you felt he’d want to change that.” Zuko's words were slow, he didn't know exactly what to say.</p><p>“I just…every time I look at him, I can’t help but think about those things…and I’ve pushed it away for so long…” Katara thought out loud.</p><p>She knew deep down this was something she was only comfortable talking about with Zuko.</p><p>“Then maybe it will be good, to get it off your chest. I mean…damn it, Katara, yell at him if you have to.” Zuko spoke quietly.</p><p>Katara looked up to him, she tucked hair behind both of her ears, and she sniffled, feeling potential tears coming.</p><p>“It’s taken me a long time to realize it, but, bottling up feelings for the sake of other people’s comfort isn’t doing anyone good. It doesn’t do you any good and it sure as hell doesn’t do them any good…he’s completely in the dark here. Maybe he wants the chance to make things better.”</p><p>“But he can’t. He’ll never stop looking at me like that, he can’t bring my mom back, and I <em>know</em> he won’t ever come home.” Katara sighed.</p><p>“But maybe there’s another way he can.”</p><p>Before Katara could retort, there was a knock at the door. It creaked open, to reveal Hakoda.</p><p>“Katara?” He took a step into the room.</p><p>Katara looked to her dad and then to Zuko.</p><p>Zuko nodded to Katara before walking toward the door.</p><p>He passed Hakoda, and shut the door behind him. It pained him to do so. He wanted to be there for her, he wanted to hold her hand while she expressed her anguish and concern. But he knew it was something Katara had to do alone.</p>
<hr/><p>It had been thirty minutes when Hakoda and Katara finally came down the stairs. Zuko was in the kitchen helping Gran-Gran with the dishes, while Suki and Sokka were getting ready to take off on a night out together.</p><p>Hakoda and Katara walked into the kitchen, and Katara seemed calm, and so did he.</p><p>Katara walked toward Zuko, and Sokka approached Hakoda.</p><p>Zuko put away the plate he was drying,</p><p>“Are you ok?” He said in a hushed tone.</p><p>Katara just nodded.</p><p>“Alright, I’ll see you soon then, Dad.” Sokka said his goodbyes, with Suki peeking over his shoulder.</p><p>“It was nice seeing you again!” Suki smiled.</p><p>“I hope to see more of you, Suki.” Hakoda was more than impressed with Suki’s spirit.</p><p>Suki and Sokka then slipped out the back door, leaving Hakoda, Katara, Zuko, and Gran-Gran left in the kitchen.</p><p>“Zuko, Katara, if you want to make more of the night, I can help Gran finish up the dishes here.” Hakoda squeezed past them toward the sink.</p><p>“It’s really no problem sir—“ Zuko attempted to pry.</p><p>“Go on! You two are young, and so is the night.” Hakoda insisted.</p><p>Katara looked to Hakoda and then to Zuko.</p><p>“Ok, ok.” To Zuko’s surprise, Katara smiled.</p><p>She then threw her arms around her father.</p><p>“Goodbye.” She mumbled into his chest.</p><p>“Bye.” Hakoda returned the hug.</p><p>Katara released him from the embrace and looked up to him.</p><p>“I love you.” She said quietly.</p><p>She meant it.</p><p>“I love you more.” He replied, he tucked a piece of hair behind her ear.</p><p>He meant it.</p><p>She took a step back, and now she was next to Zuko.</p><p>“It was nice meeting you, Zuko. And, something tells me your 'wish' will be coming true sooner rather than later.” Hakoda winked, looking to him and then Katara.</p><p>“Christ, Dad.” Katara rolled her eyes, but couldn’t help but laugh.</p><p>“I sure hope so.” Zuko chuckled at Katara’s reply.</p><p>The pair waved at Gran and Hakoda as they opened the back door.</p><p>“Don’t be too late!” Gran hollered as they exited.</p><p>Katara shut and locked the door behind her.</p><p>Zuko and her stood and just looked at each other for a moment. It was pure bliss. Katara felt like a weight was off of her shoulders, and she couldn’t wait to tell Zuko about it. And with Zuko’s one glance at Katara... he had made a realization, and it was one he wasn’t exactly sure of yet, one that he definitely didn’t want to tell her yet…</p><p>“So…” Katara trailed off, she leaned in close to his face.</p><p>“So….” He imitated, leaning in closer, their noses almost touching.</p><p>“What do you wanna do?” She pulled back.</p><p>She began to walk from the backyard to the front of the house, where she assumed Zuko had parked his car.</p><p>Zuko didn’t speak for a moment, and just followed behind her.</p><p>“I want to take you somewhere.” He finally spoke.</p><p>They approached his car, he unlocked it.</p><p>They entered either side, and Zuko put the key in the ignition.</p><p>“Where?” Katara beamed, her curiosity was child-like, and it amused Zuko.</p><p>He put the car in drive.</p><p>“You’ll see.”</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>thank u again for reading and all of your comments :))) &lt;333</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0015"><h2>15. Chapter 15</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Katara gazed out of her window lost in thought as Zuko continued to drive.</p>
<p>She finally returned back to reality when her brain registered that they’d past the old party barn and merged onto the interstate.</p>
<p>“Zuko, can you please tell me where we’re going?” Katara turned toward him.</p>
<p>“What did I say earlier? You’ll see!” Zuko glanced off the road and over to her.</p>
<p>The sun was just beginning to set, making the light from the sun extra prominent and golden, Zuko noticed it brought out the blue in Katara’s eyes more.</p>
<p>He looked back to the road.</p>
<p>“You really live up to that name, you know.” Zuko bit the inside of his cheek, focusing his eyes on the road.</p>
<p>“What name?” Katara scoffed, her eyes fixed on his side profile.</p>
<p>“Piece of Work. You’re such a piece of work.”</p>
<p>“Zuko, you did not just say that!” Katara ’s mind was flooded with memories from weeks ago, from before she knew she had feelings for Zuko...from when she didn't like him at all.</p>
<p>“I mean, I try to take my….friend….out to a special location and all she does is continue to badger me and try to ruin the surprise.” Zuko looked out his rearview mirror and changed lanes.</p>
<p>Katara sat up in her seat, her eyes still glued to him, like she would never look away.</p>
<p>“Admit it.” She tilted her head up, her round nose rising slightly into the air.</p>
<p>“Admit what?” Zuko was conspicuously amused.</p>
<p>“You like it.”</p>
<p>Zuko stayed quiet.</p>
<p>“Holy shit, Zuko, you’ve liked it since the get-go! I started talking and wouldn’t shut up and…you liked it! You like the Piece of Work, hell, you’re <em>falling</em> for the Piece of Work.”</p>
<p>“Don’t get too cocky there, Katara.”</p>
<p>“It’s true though, isn’t it?”</p>
<p>He stayed quiet once more.</p>
<p>“Interesting.” Katara said in response.</p>
<p>“Shut it.” Zuko was trying so hard to hold back a smile, but he couldn’t.</p>
<p>He slowly merged off the interstate and pulled to the side of the road. He looked dropped his hands from the wheel and looked to Katara, whose eyes had never left him.</p>
<p>“Holy shit.” Katara brought her knees up to her seat and kneeled, positioning her body toward Zuko.</p>
<p>Zuko was still quiet, his smiles could no longer be held off.</p>
<p>“God, if Suki were here, she’d be saying ‘I told you so’!” Katara shook her head and took her eyes off of him.</p>
<p>“Why?” Zuko laughed, “what did Suki say?”</p>
<p><em>That you’re in love with me</em>, Katara thought.</p>
<p>She froze.</p>
<p>“Uh, nothing. Are we here?” Katara looked out her window, and popped the passenger door open as she did so.</p>
<p>She took a step out of the car and looked out.</p>
<p>It was a lake.</p>
<p>The water looked golden from the light of the setting sun, there were small waves, and it was surrounded by trees and flowers. There was a little ‘beach’ of sand, and the water reflected the beams of the sun, making the lake sparkle.</p>
<p>“It’s beautiful! What is this place?!” Katara’s eyes grew wide, like a child getting excited about birthday gifts.</p>
<p>Zuko came around from the other side of the car and stood next to her.</p>
<p>“My…my mom used to take me here.” Zuko said quietly.</p>
<p>Katara felt her heartbeat slow down at his statement and the sudden change of tone in his voice.</p>
<p>“Oh…I—“</p>
<p>“Come on, I wanna show you something.” Zuko didn’t let her finish.</p>
<p>He shoved his hands in his pockets and leaned his head forward, gesturing her to follow him.</p>
<p>She did so.</p>
<p>They walked close to each other, and stopped at the edge of the lake, where the little waves broke against the shore.</p>
<p>“Alright, now be quiet.” Zuko leaned in close to Katara and whispered in her ear.</p>
<p>His low voice was so close to her that it sent chills down her spine.</p>
<p>Zuko reached his hand out, pointing across the edge of the lake. A few feet away from them was a family of ducks.</p>
<p>“You’re kidding me!” Katara exclaimed.</p>
<p>“Christ, Katara, what did I just say?!” Zuko nudged her after his lighthearted comment.</p>
<p>“Shit, sorry.” Katara whispered.</p>
<p>She leaned forward and squinted her eyes, trying to visualize the scene of the mother duck and her babies a little more.</p>
<p>“Come on.” Zuko took a few steps in front of her.</p>
<p>He loosely intertwined his fingers with hers, and Katara felt herself blush.</p>
<p><em>She’d held his hand before, </em>Katara thought, <em>why was she blushing?</em></p>
<p>They walked down the shore of the lake, until they were only a few inches away from the mama duck and her ducklings.</p>
<p>Zuko pulled Katara by her hand and placed her in front of him, so she was closest to the ducks.</p>
<p>“Zuko…” She panicked in a hushed voice.</p>
<p>They observed the baby ducks playing, and the mother duck seemed to be looking for food.</p>
<p>“They’re letting us come really close.” Katara whispered. Zuko slowly let go of Katara’s hand.</p>
<p>“Yeah.” He replied quietly.</p>
<p>Suddenly, one of the ducks began swimming closer to them. The little duck got to the shallow waters of the shore and began walking, until met with Katara’s feet.</p>
<p>“Zuko!” Katara whispered, her tone full of excitement.</p>
<p>He squatted down, so he was closer to the baby. Katara followed as he did, and began to reach toward it, but then the duck turned the other way and returned to its family.</p>
<p>“That was so cool!” Katara sprang up from her squatting position.</p>
<p>“They must really like you, I’ve come here a lot and never once has a duck come that close before.” They began walking down the shoreline once more.</p>
<p>“I must have a special effect on ducklings.” Katara chuckled.</p>
<p>“What did I say before? Don’t get too cocky.” He nudged her gently on the arm.</p>
<hr/>
<p>“I can’t believe you threw a BOULDER at one of the baby ducks once.” Katara was suffering from fits of laughter.</p>
<p>“It wasn’t a boulder! It was…a rock of medium size.” Zuko retorted, but was obviously amused by Katara’s mirth.</p>
<p>“And the mama duck went to bite you? Classic. As she should.” Katara’s laughter began to die down.</p>
<p>The sun had set, so the full moon was high in the sky. The starlight and beams from the moon reflected off of the lake water, making the whole place look magical.</p>
<p>Katara and Zuko were sitting on the curb of the road, in front of his car. They were looking out at the lake and greenery, admiring its beauty and listening to the various noises of nocturnal animals.</p>
<p>After Katara’s laughter had ceased completely, there was a moment of silence. They just sat, the whistling of the wind filling their ears along with the quiet clicking noises of cicadas.</p>
<p>“Thank you for bringing me here.” Katara tucked a piece of hair behind her ear.</p>
<p>“Well…thanks for coming.” Zuko replied, he began to rub his hands together and play with his fingers.</p>
<p>“Thanks, too, for uh, being there for me tonight. I think I finally really worked it out with my dad. I talked, and he listened. I don’t feel so lost or hurt anymore. I think you were right.”</p>
<p>“About what?”</p>
<p>“About how bottling up feelings doesn’t make them go away.”</p>
<p>Zuko glanced over to her. Her eyes gazed out to the view ahead, she admired how the moonlight made the water of the lake look like a glittering daydream.</p>
<p>“I’m glad you feel more at peace. It’s good you talked it out.”</p>
<p>“Yeah.” Katara chuckled, and moved her glance from the lake to Zuko.</p>
<p>She looked down, and saw his Walkman peeking out of his pocket. She reached for it.</p>
<p>“Can we listen?” She inquired softly.</p>
<p>Zuko nodded.</p>
<p>He plugged his headphones in, and placed one of them up to his ear, giving the other to Katara.</p>
<p>The beginning of There is a Light That Never Goes Out by The Smiths begins to play.</p>
<p>“Hey! This is on the mix you made for me!” Katara adjusted in her seat and pressed the headphone closer to her ear.</p>
<p>“Yeah.”</p>
<p>They continued to listen, and Katara's eyes wandered to the little blue box he cradled in his hand.</p>
<p><strong>ZUKO</strong>, the corner read in bold letters.</p>
<p>“Do you have a marker?” Katara asked quickly.</p>
<p>Zuko looked over to her, confused.</p>
<p>He reached into his pocket and handed her a black felt tip.</p>
<p>She smiled.</p>
<p>She took the headphone set and placed it onto his neck. Katara then took the Walkman from his hand.</p>
<p>She used her teeth to uncap the marker, much like how she uncapped her eyeliner, Zuko noted.</p>
<p>“What are you doing?” Zuko was curious, he leaned forward as she began to draw on the device.</p>
<p>“I mean, I try to do something for my…friend…and then they lean forward to see the surprise before it’s even done!” Katara imitated Zuko’s banter from earlier.</p>
<p>He rolled his eyes.</p>
<p>After a minute, she looked at the cassette player and beamed. She placed the cap back onto the marker.</p>
<p>Katara scooted closer to Zuko, and handed his Walkman back to him.</p>
<p><strong>KATARA</strong>, was written next to his name.</p>
<p>“Since, you know, you let me listen for free, like all the time, I think this is a shared device, now.”</p>
<p>Zuko didn’t know how to respond, he couldn’t wrap his head around the fact that Katara seemed to have just as much of an attachment to music as he did,and, how much she wanted to be apart of his life.</p>
<p>All he could think to do was kiss her, and he did.</p>
<p>He placed one hand on her cheek and hers were both in his hair.</p>
<p>After a moment of soft warm kisses, she pulled away.</p>
<p>Her facial expression looked confused.</p>
<p>“Fuck, sorry. I-I shouldn’t have done that, I just…” He stood up from the curb, realizing he wasn’t really thinking about anything.</p>
<p><em>Stupid, stupid, stupid,</em> Zuko hated himself.</p>
<p>“No, Zuko.” She interrupted, standing up as well.</p>
<p>He froze.</p>
<p>“I’m still just…I’m not sure…if we should…” Katara was having trouble stringing her words together.</p>
<p>“There’s a concert.” Zuko replied.</p>
<p>Katara looked up from the ground where she had been staring.</p>
<p>“It’s uh, tomorrow night. I was wondering if you’d go with me. No pressure, no labels, it doesn’t have to be…a date. We’ll just go…together.” Zuko scratched the back of his head, becoming very nervous.</p>
<p>“I’d love to.” Katara replied quickly.</p>
<p>“Great.” Zuko’s response was just as quick.</p>
<p>They stood there awkwardly for a moment.</p>
<p>“It’s getting late.” Zuko spoke.</p>
<p>Katara nodded.</p>
<p>“Let’s get you home.” He walked toward the car and Katara followed.</p>
<p>She buckled her seat belt, and so did he. He put his car in drive and began to go in the direction of her house.</p>
<p>The car ride was quiet, neither of them put on music. Each were too lost in thought to do so.</p>
<p>Zuko felt bad about kissing her, he knew she was falling for him, she said so, but he also knew she wasn't really sure about dating him. He was confused, but she was worth it, and he liked her so much.<span class="Apple-converted-space"> He just wanted her to be happy, and for her to be in his life, even if it was only as friends.</span></p>
<p>Katara felt bad about pulling away from the kiss. She liked him, a lot, and she wanted to kiss him. She wanted to hold him, she wanted to be more than just friends. She wanted so much more, but she was scared. She was scared of losing him, scared of hurting him, and scared of her attachment to him becoming even more real.</p>
<p>The car ride was completely silent.</p>
<p>It was quite the ride back to her house, since Zuko had to take the interstate to get to the lake. But, since each of their minds were consumed with thoughts, the ride felt short. And, before either of them knew it, Zuko’s car was pulled up to the front of Katara’s home.</p>
<p>“Goodnight.” Zuko placed the car in park.</p>
<p>“Goodnight.” Katara replied halfheartedly. She felt on the verge of tears.</p>
<p>She opened the passenger door and exited the car. She walked around the front of the Buick and began walking through her front yard.</p>
<p>Zuko watched with his window down as she did so, making sure she'd get into her house safely.</p>
<p>Suddenly, she stopped walking in the middle of her yard.</p>
<p>Zuko stared, confused about why she had taken a halt.</p>
<p>Before he could ask why, she was turned around, going back to his car. She was walking fast, and before he knew it, Katara had thrown her arms around him through his rolled down window, and placed her lips on his.</p>
<p>They kissed,<em> really</em> kissed.</p>
<p>Zuko wrapped his arms around her, and she cupped either of his cheeks.</p>
<p>After a few moments, they both pulled away.</p>
<p>Zuko’s face was bright red, and Katara’s hair was tousled. She tucked a chunk of it behind her ear.</p>
<p>“Goodnight.” She nodded her head, looking into his eyes.</p>
<p>“Goodnight.” He responded.</p>
<p>With that, Katara turned the opposite way and approached her home. Once inside, she shut the door behind her, and slid her back down the wall, plopping herself onto the floor.</p>
<p>Katara thought about what Suki said earlier that day,</p>
<p>
  <em>“I’m starting to wonder if you’re in love with him, too.”</em>
</p>
<p>Katara found herself starting to wonder the same thing.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0016"><h2>16. Chapter 16</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Katara had no idea what to wear. And what did she do whenever faced with this predicament?</p><p>
  <em>Call Suki.</em>
</p><p>She was her saving grace every time.</p><p>“A concert?! That’s so rad!” Suki browsed Katara’s closet.</p><p>Katara laid out on her bed, her limbs sprawled about and her heart racing at the mere thought of Zuko.</p><p>“You need to look hot.” Suki took a few things out of the closet and set them aside.</p><p>“Hot?” Katara sat up on her bed.</p><p>“Yeah, like<em> smoking.</em> This is a concert, and also, it’s Zuko, and you’re <em>head over heels</em>.” Suki continued to pair clothes together.</p><p>She held up a blouse and skirt and shut one eye, this method seemingly made it easier for her to decipher whether it was a good outfit or not.</p><p>“I’m not 'head over heels'. I’m…confused.” Katara sounded defeated.</p><p>She propped her face up with the support of her elbows. She blew away a stray piece of hair that was tickling her forehead.</p><p>“Well, you’re making yourself confused. It’s really not hard, kiddo.” Suki plopped down next to her on the bed.</p><p>“You’ve said this before.”</p><p>“I’ll say it again…and again….and again.”</p><p>Katara half smiled.</p><p>“Now, go. Kiss him, dance with him, damnit, be his girlfriend for crying out loud! Just…be happy!” Suki threw her arms in the air.</p><p>Suki stood up once more, and continued picking through Katara’s clothes.</p><p>Katara thought about…being Zuko’s girlfriend. And for the first time, instead of thinking about the chance of Zuko leaving , Katara asked herself,</p><p>
  <em>What if Zuko <strong>wouldn’t</strong> leave? What if he really meant it?</em>
</p><p>She wondered if she should give it a chance, give their relationship a chance.</p><p>“Alright, black mini skirt, and this pretty blue blouse what do you think?” Suki held up the clothes, while Katara pushed her deep thoughts aside.</p><p>“That skirt’s kind of bold.” Katara took it from her and held it to her waist.</p><p>“Exactly.” Suki popped a handful of Bottlecaps in her mouth.</p><p>“Ok, ok. With tights and my boots?”</p><p>“Perfect!”</p><p>After Katara had changed clothes, and Suki was satisfied with the outfit, next was her hair and makeup. Suki offered to do it for Katara, and Katara definitely wasn’t obliged to that.</p><p>She teased her hair with spray, and put on more eye makeup than Katara was used to. Before she could question it, Suki addressed it, like she could read Katara’s mind.</p><p>“It’s a concert, people usually wear a little more makeup, and trust me, you’re gonna look great.” Suki bit her lip in concentration as she continued to apply product onto Katara’s face.</p><p>Katara nodded.</p><p>“Hey, don’t move.” Suki frowned, still concentrated.</p><p>Katara chuckled.</p><p>As soon as Suki was finished, it was about the time Zuko said he’d arrive.</p><p>He was late, by ten minutes.</p><p>“Don’t worry.” Suki comforted her while Katara paced back and forth by the front door.</p><p>Katara’s thoughts always went to the worse case scenario. It went from thinking he got in an accident, to he never wanted to see her again to he left town and would never come back.</p><p>“I’m not.” Katara lied.</p><p>“Yes you are.” Suki retorted.</p><p>Katara stopped pacing and turned to Suki, about to speak, but before she could, the sound of an approaching vehicle was heard from outside.</p><p>“What did I say?” Suki cocked an eyebrow and looked out the window.</p><p>Zuko’s Buick was parked at the front of the house.</p><p>“Ok, now relax, and go have fun. I think me and Sokka may catch a movie or something…but I wanna hear everything the second I see you next ok? Perhaps tomorrow?” Suki placed her hands on Katara’s shoulders.</p><p>Katara nodded.</p><p>She was feeling overwhelmed, mostly at the fact that she finally felt relatively comfortable with the idea of being Zuko’s girlfriend.</p><p>“Alright, show time, baby!” Suki opened the front door and gave her a little push out.</p><p>Katara took a deep breath and walked through her front yard.</p><p>Once at Zuko’s car, she opened the passenger side and took a seat.</p><p>“Hi.” Katara adjusted one of her hoop earrings as she looked over to Zuko.</p><p>“Holy shit.”</p><p>His nose was bleeding, and he had a purple cheek. The bruise extended from his cheek bone to part of his eye to the upper part of his temple.</p><p>“Zuko, are you ok?” Katara leaned over the seat. She began to reach for his face.</p><p>“I’m fine.” He spoke quickly.</p><p>“No.”</p><p>“Yes.”</p><p>“What happened?”</p><p>“My dad happened.”</p><p>Katara said nothing.</p><p>“I had the concert tickets mailed to the house. So I had to go inside to get them, and my dad was there and he was…in one of those moods.” Zuko didn’t look at Katara.</p><p>“Zuko…” Her tone was sympathetic.</p><p>“Katara, I don’t need that! I really don’t care, I’m used to this, ok? And I’m gonna be away from him soon anyway. Far away. Forever.” Zuko’s tone was angry, and Katara didn’t like seeing him like this.</p><p>“Turn off your car, we’re going inside.” Katara frowned.</p><p>“What?” He finally looked in her direction.</p><p>“Turn off your car. You’re coming inside and I’m gonna clean you up.”</p><p>“Katara I’m not—“</p><p>“I didn’t ask. You’re coming inside.” Katara demanded.</p><p>She got out of the car and walked around to the driver’s side. Zuko exited.</p><p>Katara crossed her arms and gestured him to follow her inside, he did so.</p><p>Once inside Katara guided him to their bathroom. He took a seat on the closed toilet while Katara began to wet a washcloth.</p><p>Once damp, Katara knelt beside the toilet and began dabbing the cloth along Zuko’s nose.</p><p>“It doesn’t work, you know.” Katara broke the silence.</p><p>“What?” Zuko mumbled, his eyes stared at Katara.</p><p>“Bottling up how you feel…it doesn’t make the feelings go away, and you know that. You told me that.” Katara furrowed her brow as she continued to clean away blood and grime.</p><p>Zuko was silent.</p><p>“You don’t have to be fine. This is fucked up, what your dad did, and I don’t like seeing you accept it…like it’s…ok…because it’s not.” Katara’s voice wavered.</p><p>“Hey…” Zuko placed a hand on Katara’s cheek. He rested his thumb under her eye. She looked at him, removing her glance from his wound.</p><p>“I just have to wait it out. And, this is the first time it’s happened in maybe a year. As long as I keep my distance, it’s alright. I just…you know…had to see him when I went into the house.” Zuko caressed his thumb under her eye.</p><p>Katara didn’t know what to say, her heart broke at the fact Zuko had to live in the guest house, that he wasn’t welcome in his own home. She wished he had more, because he deserved so much more….a father who loved him, a considerate mother who would have taken gentler care of him. He shouldn’t have to keep his distance from his own house, from his own family.</p><p>“You’re wearing…more eye makeup than usual.” Zuko spoke, making Katara push her thoughts aside.</p><p>“Yeah…do you like it?” Katara’s heartbeat quickened.</p><p>Zuko’s hand still rested on her cheek.</p><p>He nodded.</p><p>Their eyes were glued one another, like they were both looking for something in the other, and their eyes looked determined—like they wouldn’t stop searching until they found what exactly they were looking for.</p><p>It was Katara who broke the moment.</p><p>She stood up and went back to the sink, rinsing the cloth once more.</p><p>“We don’t…have to go tonight anymore, if you don’t want to.” Katara focused her gaze on her fingers which rung the excess water from the rag.</p><p>“Do you not want to go?” Zuko’s voice was small.</p><p>Katara knelt beside him once more, and proceeded to dab up the rest of the blood. She was gentle around his bruise.</p><p>“Well, I mean, I’m good with whatever, I just didn’t know if you’d still want to go after what happened.” Katara’s hand moved slowly and carefully as she cleaned his face. She treated his skin like fragile porcelain, afraid that if she pressed too hard he would shatter.</p><p>“I still want to go, if that’s alright with you. If you don’t wan to go anymore that’s ok—"</p><p>“No I wanna go.” Katara took the rag away from his face and looked to his eyes.</p><p>“Ok.” He said plainly.</p><p>A small smile appeared across his lips, Katara mirrored it.</p><hr/><p>It was late when they arrived to the concert. The band had already played a few songs, but that was convenient for Katara and Zuko since they didn’t have to wait in a line.</p><p>The concert venue was small, crammed, and it was a bar, which Katara had no idea about. Her stress levels rose since they were underaged and she figured they probably weren’t really allowed inside.</p><p>When Zuko showed his tickets to venue owner, he looked them up and down, but ultimately let them in. Katara sighed in relief.</p><p>“Zuko, this is a bar.” Katara clung to his arm.</p><p>“I know, it’s ok, I come here all the time.” Zuko assured.</p><p>Katara nodded, she was still nervous, but Zuko’s words calmed her down a little bit.</p><p>Once inside, the crowd of people was very diverse. There were kids Zuko and Katara’s age who had also somehow gotten in, people in their twenties, thirties, even older than that. A lot of them dressed in clothes similar to Zuko’s style, Katara noted, lots of leather and lots of black. She felt a little out of place, but was happy to be with Zuko.</p><p>She noticed some of the guys wore eyeliner, she smirked.</p><p>“Should have done your eyeliner.” Zuko leaned down to hear Katara over the noise.</p><p>Zuko shook his head and smiled slightly, “Yeah.”</p><p>They stopped at the end of the bar, and had a pretty good view of the stage and the band ahead.</p><p>“Did you want something to drink?” Katara was still attached to his side, like a safety pin fastened to fraying fabric.</p><p>“Um…I’m not sure…”</p><p>“I know some of the guys here, if you’re scared of getting in trouble, you won’t…but if you don’t want anything, that’s fine too.”</p><p>Katara thought for a moment. She didn’t think she should be drinking right now.</p><p>“I think I’m good.”</p><p>“Are you ok?” Zuko could tell she was on edge.</p><p>Katara nodded.</p><p>The band concluded the current song they were playing, applause and cheers from the crowd followed.</p><p>Katara and Zuko both brought their attention to the stage.</p><p>“Next we’re covering one of our favorite songs. It’s probably one of your favorites, too. We hope you enjoy.” The lead singer took a sip from his beer before setting it back down to the floor of the stage.</p><p>The first few notes of the song were played and Katara and Zuko shot glances to each other right away.</p><p>It was Love My Way.</p><p>“Zuko! Our song!” Katara felt her confidence resurface. She unlatched herself from Zuko’s arm and intertwined her fingers with his instead.</p><p>“We have to dance, come on! Let’s get closer!” Katara literally pulled Zuko away from the bar.</p><p>“Katara, I don’t…dance.”</p><p>“Liar! I’ve seen you! Remember? At the barn?” Katara continued to pull.</p><p><em>How could he forget?</em>, Zuko thought.</p><p>Katara pushed past some people in the crowd to get to a gap of floor where they could dance. They were close to the stage.</p><p>Katara faced Zuko, she took both of his hands into hers and started dancing around. Zuko stood still and held back a smile.</p><p>“Come on!” Katara continued to badger him, and finally he gave in.</p><p>He spun her around and they jumped up and down, singing the lyrics so loud that their throats started to hurt. At one point, Katara collapsed onto Zuko, her back against his chest, and her hair tickling his chin. He wrapped his arms around her, and they swayed back and forth.</p><p>They stayed like this for the last few seconds of the song. Zuko rested his cheek on the top of her head, and Katara placed her fingers around his arms that were wrapped around her.</p><p>Once the song ended, they clapped and hollered. Katara beamed at Zuko.</p><p>The next song began playing, and Zuko took Katara’s hand and guided them back through the audience, so they could return to their spot at the bar.</p><p>“That was amazing! Did you know they were going to play that?” Katara was still smiling from ear to ear.</p><p>“No idea.” Zuko chuckled.</p><p>They both looked at each other, a little out of breath from dancing, and they just examined one another. Katara’s eyes lingered away, and noticed a familiar figure in the background.</p><p>It was <em>Jet</em>.</p><p>He saw her, their eyes locked for a moment.</p><p>She panicked on the inside as she saw him begin to walk over.</p><p>Her eyes went back to Zuko, his gaze had never left her.</p><p>Her heart raced as Jet got closer.</p><p>The only thing she could think to do was…</p><p>She stood on her tippy toes, and placed her hand on the back of Zuko’s head. She kissed him on the lips. For a long moment. He placed his hands on her waist, just above her hips.</p><p>Katara pulled away.</p><p>“Katara, I…wanted to talk to you…” Zuko began.</p><p>Katara’s eyes left Zuko and went back to where she had seen Jet before. He was frozen in his tracks. He crossed his arms, and scoffed. A couple of his friends stood behind him.</p><p>Zuko noticed Katara’s glance was focused elsewhere and he turned around.</p><p>He saw Jet turn around and dissolve into the crowd, his friends followed him.</p><p>“What the fuck.” Zuko turned back to Katara.</p><p>“Did you just kiss me to piss him off?” Zuko took a step back from her.</p><p><em>Shit</em>, Katara’s mind went into panic mode.</p><p>“No…I just I…” She felt sick to her stomach.</p><p>Zuko turned in the other direction and began walking toward the exit.</p><p>Katara followed.</p><p>“Zuko!” She hollered after him. She pushed past people and kept him in her eye sight.</p><p>He left the building, and was out front, under the glow of the venue's neon sign.</p><p>“Zuko!” Katara placed a hand around his forearm, he pulled away.</p><p>“What the fuck was that?” Zuko made sure to keep his distance from Katara.</p><p>“Please—“</p><p>“Is that all I am to you? Someone to make that douchebag jealous? God, I was right from the start, wasn’t I?” Zuko threw his arms in the air. His brow was furrowed, and Katara could tell he was having a hard time holding everything together.</p><p>She could tell he was hurt.</p><p>“Zuko, you know that’s not true. You mean everything to me. You know me better than anyone.” Katara took a step closer, but he took one backward, “I only did that because I saw him coming over and…I didn’t want to deal with his bullshit…and I thought if he saw me kissing you he’d screw off.”</p><p>“I mean everything to you, huh?” Zuko scoffed.</p><p>“Don’t even pull that Zuko, you do, and you fucking know it.”</p><p>“And you think I know you better than anyone? Apparently I don’t.”</p><p>“Did you just listen to what I said? I told you why I did it. I thought he’d screw off and he did. I didn’t want him ruining the night.” Tears were brimming at Katara’s eyes, she didn’t know if she could blink them away much longer.</p><p>“Well, it seems like you did that for him.” Zuko walked past her in the direction of his car.</p><p>“Zuko…” Katara’s voice was small, she followed behind him.</p><p>He said nothing.</p><p>Once they got to his Buick, they got in on either side of the car.</p><p>“Katara…I really like you. Like….really, really like you. And, if you don’t like me then you just need to tell me ok? I don’t want to be some past-time activity that you decide to partake in when you’re bored and that conveniently makes your ex-boyfriend jealous, ok?” Zuko started his car.</p><p>“You’re kidding me, right?” Katara was angry now.</p><p>She wiped her tears away with the back of her hand.</p><p>Zuko turned to her.</p><p>“I shared my past with you, introduced you to my friends and family, let you into an emotional space of mine that no one has ever been let into before, fucking told you I was falling for you…and you're comparing yourself to some past-time activity I only come around to when I’m bored? You can't possibly think that.” Katara stared at him, her eye makeup was smudged from her tears.</p><p>Zuko said nothing.</p><p>“Fuck you. I’ll get a ride from someone else.” Katara scoffed and opened the car door.</p><p>Zuko followed her outside, she didn’t get very far, only about a foot away from the car.</p><p>“Katara, Katara, stop. Please. This is a stupid fight.” Zuko reached for her shoulder, she turned around before he touched her. His arm fell.</p><p>“I’m sorry. Maybe I overreacted.” He took a step closer to her.</p><p>Katara just crossed her arms and stared at the ground.</p><p>“I was just…the fact that you used to date Jet just rubs me the wrong way sometimes, and maybe I was just insecure and—“</p><p>“Insecure? You shouldn’t be insecure, you’re the best boyfriend I’ve ever had.” Katara looked up to him, and her heart dropped after she realized what she’d just said.</p><p>“‘Boyfriend’?” Zuko cocked an eyebrow.</p><p>“You know what I mean.”</p><p>“So I’m your boyfriend, huh?” Zuko teased.</p><p>“Shut up.” Katara punched him lightly on the arm.</p><p>He chuckled.</p><p>“I’m sorry.” Katara looked to him.</p><p>“No, Katara, I’m sorry. I wasn’t thinking...I…I do know you.” Zuko took another step closer to her.</p><p>“But I shouldn’t have kissed you. I could have handled it differently. Jet just…scares me and I panic. I don’t know why I did that.” Katara shook her head.</p><p>“Well, maybe…you did it because you…like me.” Zuko placed his pointer finger under her chin and moved her face up to look at him.</p><p>She stared at him for a moment, but then pushed his arm away.</p><p>“Don’t get too cocky there, Zuko.” She imitated what he had said the previous night.</p><p>He scoffed.</p><p>“Alright, let’s go.” He gestured her to follow him back to the car.</p><p>“Where?” She inquired as buckled herself into the passenger seat.</p><p>“Well since Jet’s at this concert, it must kind of suck ass…so we’re going to go to one of my other favorite places in town that’s open this late.” Zuko put his car into drive.</p><p>“And where’s that?” Katara laughed a bit and looked down to his hand, resting on the gear shift. She wondered if she should hold it. She wanted to.</p><p>She didn’t.</p><p>“Let's just say...I hear the owner makes the best tea in the world.”</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0017"><h2>17. Chapter 17</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>“Favorite color?” Katara and Zuko sat across from each other in a booth at Iroh’s diner. The night was quiet, only a couple other customers were in the diner. Iroh himself was in the back, probably brewing more tea or closing up shop.</p><p>Katara and Zuko had cups of tea in front of them, each becoming emptier and emptier by the minute.</p><p>“You’re really going to waste a question on that?” Katara crossed her arms and chuckled.</p><p>They were playing twenty questions. It was Katara’s idea. And, Zuko’d do anything to spend more time with Katara.</p><p>“Christ, sorry I can’t come up with better questions. You know it’s only a game, right?” Zuko took a sip from his cup.</p><p>“I bet you can guess it, go ahead.” Katara cocked an eyebrow.</p><p>Zuko said nothing, it was then that he was able to quickly process the fact that it had been a stupid question to ask.</p><p>“Blue.” Zuko said under his breath.</p><p>“Yeah.” Katara shook her head and smiled as her thumb traced the rim of her cup</p><p>“Alright, your turn, Piece of Work. You got three questions left.” Zuko adjusted in his seat.</p><p>Katara thought for a moment.</p><p>“When did you realize you were falling for me?”</p><p>Zuko felt his heart begin to race.</p><p>
  <em>He knew exactly when.</em>
</p><p>“Pass.” He said, biting the inside of his cheek.</p><p>“You can’t do that! You have to answer the question, that’s like the number one rule of the game!” Katara leaned forward across the table a bit.</p><p>“I don’t care. Plus, you know when…”</p><p>“Actually, I don’t.”</p><p>“Yes you do.”</p><p>“Just tell me.”</p><p>He looked into her big blue eyes and knew he didn’t have a choice.</p><p>“It was…that night. At the barn, when we were dancing. When I beat the shit out of Jet. You were singing like an idiot, and dancing with two left feet and then the other night…I realized…” Zuko trailed off.</p><p>It was quiet for a moment.</p><p>Katara examined him, he was looking down to his tea, he had a small smile on his face but it slowly faded.</p><p>“My turn.” He spoke, looking up to her.</p><p>“Realized what?” Katara leaned further across the table.</p><p>“You know.”</p><p>“Just tell me.”</p><p>“When did you realize you were falling for me?” Zuko ignored how much she tried to pry.</p><p>
  <em> He couldn’t tell her.</em>
</p><p>Katara returned to her position on the other side of the booth. She played with her fingers.</p><p>“Early on. That week, when…you didn’t speak to me, and you just came out of nowhere with the mixtape. I realized I was so sad when you were gone, and so angry at you when I saw you…because I was developing feelings for you all along. Which is crazy to think about.” Katara looked down to her cup, and traced its rim once more.</p><p>“Why…is it crazy to think about?” Zuko felt anxious all of a sudden.</p><p>“Because…you were originally just some asshole who stole my alley spot.” Katara looked up to him and half smiled. She tilted her head and scrunched her nose.</p><p>He rolled his eyes, but was clearly amused.</p><p>“What do you mean <em>your</em> alley spot? What if that’s <em>my</em> alley spot?”</p><p>“Fine…now it’s <em>our</em> alley spot.”</p><p>They looked at each other and shared a small laugh. Each of them thought about the alley spot, and the memories they had there…the memories they have together in general.</p><p>“I don’t want you to leave.” Katara’s expression fell as a realization hit, she spoke the phrase softly, Zuko almost didn’t hear.</p><p>“Hey…” He reached for her hand that rested on the table.</p><p>“What have I told you? I’m not going anywhere.” Zuko placed both of his around one of hers, he caressed the back of her hand with his thumbs.</p><p>Katara pulled her hand away.</p><p>“Katara…” Zuko could tell she thought of something in particular that made her mood change so suddenly.</p><p>“Let’s go. I’m tired.” She stood up from the table.</p><p>Zuko just nodded and stood up with her.</p><p>They left a little tip and napkin note thanking Iroh before leaving the shop.</p><p>Zuko sat at the wheel and Katara plopped down in the passenger seat next to him.</p><p>Zuko put his keys in the ignition but didn’t start it. He felt funny, about the way Katara’s mood has suddenly changed, and he was determined to find out what was going on.</p><p>He clicked on the ceiling light.</p><p>“What happened?” Zuko questioned plainly.</p><p>“What do you mean?” Katara had been looking out the window but she turned to Zuko after he spoke.</p><p>“In there. One second we were laughing and…I don’t know…you were happy, and then a second later…you hate me.” Zuko knew she didn’t hate him, but he didn’t know how else to describe it.</p><p>“Zuko, I don’t hate you.” Katara tucked a piece of hair behind her ear.</p><p>“I just…I…I…” Katara was having trouble forming her words into sentences.</p><p>Zuko watched as she struggled, her cheeks had turned pink. The blue in her eyes was brought out even more from the boldness of her eye make up.</p><p>He knew he had to just say it.</p><p>“I love you.” They both said it, at the same time, synchronized.</p><p>It was like the second Katara had realized what she needed to say, so did Zuko.</p><p>They both just sat there for a moment, they stared at each other, saying absolutely nothing.</p><p><em>Should he kiss her?</em>, Zuko thought.</p><p>He slowly tucked away a piece of hair that had been framing her face, and began to lean in close.</p><p>“Stop.” Katara’s voice wavered, and she pushed him away.</p><p>“Christ, Katara you tell me…you love me…and then you do that.”</p><p>“I don’t want to love you. I can’t, I know you say you won’t leave, but I know how this ends Zuko, I do…and I know you don’t really love me, and that I don’t really love you and that what we’re feeling is just something our minds have made up for us to fill the void. No one falls in love within this short of time, we’re seniors in high school for crying out loud, we’ve been there for each other when we need it, but that’s it. When school this year ends, we’re not going to see each other ever again. And Hell, Zuko, I want to be with you, I do…I do…but we can’t…it’s not how this works.”</p><p>“But…I do love you. I do. I’m in love with you. Your shitty singing voice, the way you call me out on my bullshit, how stubborn you are, how you scrunch your nose when you concentrate, the smell of your hairspray and perfume, the smile that takes up half your face when I pull my Walkman out of my pocket, how your hand feels in mine, how your lips feel on mine, how you dance so freely…and I’ll admit it, I love that you’re a piece of work, I always have…”</p><p>“Zuko…”</p><p>“So don’t sit here and tell me what I’m feeling for you isn’t real when it’s the most I’ve ever felt anything in my entire life.”</p><p>Katara was silent she processed everything Zuko had just said.</p><p>Zuko looked away from her and stared at the steering wheel.</p><p>He turned the key in the ignition and started the car.</p><p>“I think you’re just saying all that because you’re scared. You know it’s not true.” Zuko eyes traced the dashboard before returning back to Katara.</p><p>“<em>Scared</em>?” Katara scoffed.</p><p>“Yeah, you’re scared because your feelings for me are stronger than anything you’ve ever felt before…and now God forbid you let anyone get<em> too </em>close. I know you didn’t open up to Jet like you did with me, I know with Suki, Sokka, and Aang everything’s a big game…and that’s what’s not real Katara, you can’t just dismiss your deepest feelings because it’s an inconvenience to you.” Zuko’s voice was slightly raised.</p><p>He was frustrated, he loved Katara, he told her, he opened his heart to her and she was painfully silent, and initially dismissed what he felt as invalid.</p><p>Katara dropped her crossed arms, and snapped her neck in his direction.</p><p>“<em>Too close</em>?” Katara processed once more.</p><p>“And you regret letting me in, you regret ever feeling anything for me, and you want to take it all back…and the only way you can is if you pretend nothing we have is real, like nothing you feel for me matters, when it does. You’re so used to treating your feelings like an on and off button…damn it, Katara, you can’t control how you feel. And you know it doesn’t work, bottling up your feelings, so tell me how you really feel? How about it?” Their faces were only a few inches apart now, Zuko’s tone was passive.</p><p>“Just take me home.” Katara couldn’t think.</p><p>“What?”</p><p>“Take me home. I’m tired, you’re tired, it’s been a long night.”</p><p>Zuko put the car in drive.</p><p>“God, you’re so—“</p><p>“Fucked up, I’m broken. I know that already, you don’t have to say it.” Katara’s gaze was glued to the window, she'd turned her head turned away from Zuko completely.</p><p>Zuko put the car back into park.</p><p>“Katara, you’re not fucked up.”</p><p>“Yes I am.”</p><p>“Stop it.” He reached for her hand, she shook it away, still looking out the window.</p><p>“Just take me home.” Her voice wavered.</p><p>And, he did.</p><p>He felt like shit the entire drive, Katara wouldn’t even breathe in his direction. Her temple rested on the top of the seat as she watched buildings and trees and lights go by as Zuko continued to drive.</p><p>Katara’s mind was overflowing with thoughts, and she wasn’t mad at Zuko, she couldn’t be. She was mad at the fact that he was right, that he was fucking <em>right</em>, and as much as she liked him—<em>loved</em> him—there were times when she didn’t want him to be right.</p><p>She was scared, she was terrified. It was in that moment at Iroh’s diner, seeing Zuko laugh, and internally reminiscing on all of their times together…when she realized then and there that she loved him. The label was too much, ‘someone I love’ was an even bigger title to her than ‘boyfriend’. Katara saw this realization as a bad one, as a red flag.<em> Loving</em> someone else meant having another person she felt strongly about to lose, and she didn’t want to lose Zuko.</p><p>Her thought process at first was to dismiss the feeling completely, to pretend that what she was feeling wasn’t real, in order to save herself from that stress, that constant fear that he would leave, the overwhelming knowledge that she loved him…but she knew deep down it wouldn’t work. It couldn’t, not with Zuko…who knew her better than anyone within only the short span of a few months.</p><p>She wanted to scream, to cry, to be alone. She couldn’t look at him knowing he was right, that he knew her ploy, that he knew her better than she knew herself.</p><p>She couldn’t look at him knowing that she loved him, and that he loved her too.</p><p>Katara needed time to think, and she wasn’t going to be able to do so in Zuko’s Buick, that rattled down the road as they continued to drive…with the center of all of these thoughts sitting only a foot away from her.</p><p>Katara felt too exposed, too vulnerable, she wanted to curl up into a ball and never be heard from again.</p><p>Zuko never cried, but he sure as hell felt like it seeing Katara reach this point. He would glance over at her as he drove, hoping to see even a mere glimpse of her blue eyes. He knew what he said was a lot, but it was the truth, and he was going to be honest with Katara about anything and everything…because damn it…he loved her.</p><p>
  <em>He loved her.</em>
</p><p>A thought he could finally think without trying to suppress, even if Katara claimed it was invalid.</p><p>Zuko pulled up to the front of Katara’s house.</p><p>She unbuckled her seat belt.</p><p>“Katara…” Zuko’s voice was quiet, and it wavered…Katara had never heard his voice sound so defeated before.</p><p>She placed her hand on the door handle and froze for a moment, wondering what to say, what to do. She sniffled, holding back potential tears of her own, the air in his car smelled so strongly of his cologne, of him…it was that scent, that was the last straw, it sent Katara out of the car without saying anything to Zuko, without even looking at him.</p><p>“Fuck.” Zuko huffed under his breath as he watched her slam the door behind her.</p><p>Her teased dark hair moved with the evening breeze as she approached the house. He watched her enter the door, and once she did, and it closed behind her…he cried.</p><p>Not a <em>real</em> cry, but there were a few tears he wiped away quickly. He hit his fists on the top of the steering wheel, <em>hard</em>. He cursed under his breath.</p><p>“So fucking stupid.”</p><p>Zuko was most frustrated with himself because he let himself feel so deeply for someone else. For so many years, he had an unwritten agreement in place with himself that he wouldn’t let his guard down, that he wouldn’t try to get close to people, and it hurt him the most because he’d never cared for anyone quite as much as he cared for Katara.</p><p>He’d broken that unwritten agreement, and he hated himself for it. He hated himself for loving Katara, for caring for her in a way he didn’t know he could care for someone.</p><p>It wasn’t his fault for Katara’s indecision, but he still blamed himself. He blamed himself for all of it, he wondered if he should step out of Katara’s life completely. If she was happier with that, then it’d be worth it.</p><p>He wiped the last few tears off his face.</p><p>“Stop.” He spoke to himself.</p><p>He massaged his palms against his forehead, and pushed his hair away from his face.</p><p>He lit a cigarette and placed it between his lips before putting his car into drive once more.</p><hr/><p>Katara couldn’t sleep. She'd only gotten a few hours, but as soon as she woke up, she knew she needed to go see Zuko. She needed to talk it out with him completely.</p><p>She knew she’d been unreasonable and scared the night prior, a lot of it was because she was tired, and having strong realizations while her mind was foggy wasn’t the best. Even though she’d only got a few hours of sleep in, she felt like she could go see Zuko and speak to him.</p><p>He deserved that.</p><p>Katara knew Zuko, and she knew he’d be beating himself for her confusion and sadness when it was clearly self-inflicted.</p><p>She was changing clothes when the telephone line in her room rang.</p><p>“Hello?” She answered.</p><p>“Hey kiddo, how was the concert?” Suki was on the other line, her tone was full of anticipation and general happiness.</p><p>“Can I call you later?” Katara’s voice sounded defeated.</p><p>“Woah, woah, what’s wrong? What happened?” A sudden change in tone.</p><p>“I’m going to handle it right now. I fucked up, I’m going to try to fix it.” Katara wondered if she should just hang up, she knew Suki would continue to pry until she knew somewhat of the situation, but Katara didn’t want to tell her.</p><p>“Whatever happened, it’s not the end of the world, ok? Are you ok? What do you need?” Suki’s voice was full of concern and worry.</p><p>“I need to go. I will call you later, I promise.” Katara hung up the phone.</p><p>She left her bedroom, and took Sokka’s car key from the bowl by the front door. She then exited the house and went to his car, not really caring if he needed it that morning. She drove it to Zuko’s house, where she parked in the street. She walked up his driveway where she entered the gate to his backyard. She approached his little house, and knocked on the door.</p><p>Her stomach was doing backflips, and her mind kept going over what she wanted to say.</p><p>Katara waited a minute or so, and realized he must not be in there. She knocked again, no answer.</p><p>She couldn’t leave until she spoke to him. She needed to.</p><p>Katara went back around to the front of the house, and she knocked on the door there.</p><p>She didn’t care who answered, she just needed to find Zuko and talk to him, and fix everything.</p><p>Shortly after she knocked, the door swung open.</p><p>“Katara, what the hell are you doing here?” Zuko frowned. He placed his hands on both of her shoulders and moved her backward gently.</p><p>He closed the door behind him.</p><p>“You need to leave.” He spoke before Katara could reply.</p><p>“Why? I need to talk to you, about last night, about everything. I was…”</p><p>She trailed off, and closed her eyes tightly, unable to really find the words.</p><p>“Come on.” Zuko walked quickly, pulling her gently by her hand.</p><p>He guided them back to the guest house in the backyard, where he shut and locked the door behind them.</p><p>“What’s wrong?” Katara was already anxious thinking about having this conversation, it didn’t help that Zuko seemed like he was on edge.</p><p>“It’s nothing, nothing.” Zuko peeked through the house’s blinds before sitting next to her on his bed.</p><p>“What did you wanna talk about?” Zuko’s eyes looked sincere, innocent, and he was ready to listen to what Katara had to say intently.</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>AHHH OMG ok sorry this chapter is so late, i'm usually pretty good at updating but i've been busy!! sorry to leave you with a bit of a cliffhanger haha hfdlkfajsdfh what is katara going to tell him? what's up with zuko??? you will have to wait and see ... lol anyway thank u sm for reading!! pls comment your thoughts and if ur from twitter ily</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0018"><h2>18. Chapter 18</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <em>“What did you wanna talk to me about?” Zuko’s eyes looked sincere, innocent, and he was ready to listen to what Katara had to say intently.</em>
</p><p>“Well…I…” Katara trailed off and looked down.</p><p>As she did, she noticed his wrist was bruised.</p><p>“Zuko.” She reached for his wrist, her fingers brushed against it before he pulled his arm away from where she could see it.</p><p>“I’m fine.” He replied sharply.</p><p>“Was it your dad?”</p><p>“Yeah, but it doesn’t matter.”</p><p>Katara got quiet.</p><p>“Come on…talk to me.” Zuko reached and placed a strand of her hair behind her ear.</p><p>“Stop, don’t do that…it only makes it harder.” She gently pushed his hand away.</p><p>She clenched her eyes shut, seemingly holding back tears.</p><p>“Makes what harder?” Zuko stood up from the bed.</p><p>Katara got quiet once more.</p><p>“What?” Zuko’s voice wavered.</p><p>“I think we should stop seeing each other. All together.” Katara blurted it out.</p><p>She stood up in front of him, and forced herself to look him in the eye, she regretted it shortly after seeing the look on his face.</p><p>“You…you don’t mean that.” His voice was small.</p><p>“It’s all I can think to do. Zuko, I can’t give you the answer you want, and you’ve known that deep down all along, haven’t you?” Katara crossed her arms, as if to protect herself.</p><p>“Katara, I love you.” He wanted to reach for her, to hold her but he stood still.</p><p>“I love you too. I love all of your little things too…the smell of your cologne, how warm your hands are when they hold mine, how you call<em> me </em>out on <em>my</em> bullshit, the wrinkles on your cheeks when you try to hold back a smile, how safe I feel in your arms, your music, even your fucking cigarettes, I—“</p><p>“Then don’t do this, Katara. Don’t…because if you do, and you walk away you won’t ever see me again.” Zuko looked away from her.</p><p>She stepped closer, and began to place her arms around him.</p><p>“No.” He said, holding back tears. He pushed her arms away.</p><p>“Don’t.” His voice wavered once more.</p><p>“It’s going to be better for both of us. It will.” Katara’s tone was assuring but Zuko still wasn’t convinced.</p><p>“I’m fucked up, and I can’t be in a serious relationship with someone I really care about until…I’m not fucked up anymore. And that’s something only I can only figure out, you can’t fix me, ok?” Katara’s voice was breaking, and she turned her glance away from Zuko.</p><p>“I was never trying to fix you—“</p><p>“It doesn’t matter.” Katara threw her crossed arms down to her sides.</p><p>“I can’t be with you, and I want to, I do, and I know you want to be with me. If we just…leave the other’s life, then no one gets hurt. It’s better this way.” Katara repeatedly said that last sentence in her head.</p><p>“You know it’s not better. You know it’s not.” Zuko took a step closer, he leaned down slightly so he was closer to her face.</p><p>“Stop.”</p><p>“You know it’s not better. I’m gonna miss you every goddamn day. And, maybe I’ll get over it, but I’ll miss you. I’ll think about you, because I love you.” His words were strong, and they stung at Katara as soon as she heard them.</p><p>“You’ll get over it. You’ll realize it’s better for the both of us.”</p><p>“Says who?” He scoffed.</p><p>“Says me.” She looked him dead in the eye.</p><p>“I don’t wanna hurt you.” She continued.</p><p>“You’ll hurt me by doing this.” His eyes examined hers.</p><p>“I’ll hurt you more by staying.” Katara took a deep breath.</p><p>Katara looked away from him, the tears brimming her eyes and beginning to fall down her cheeks. She went toward the door. He followed her, and stood right behind her, she felt his presence.</p><p>“Katara, don’t.” He rested his hand on her shoulder. He wanted more than anything to stop her from what she was doing.</p><p>She turned around slowly.</p><p>“You know it’s better this way,” she placed a hand against his cheek, “you’re gonna graduate and move far away from here, from your dad and start your new life, and you won’t have to worry about me, you won’t have to deal with my bullshit. You’re gonna do amazing things, hell, maybe you’ll find your mom. And…you’ll meet someone else, and share your music with her, and she’s gonna love you, and you’re gonna love her and you’ll be together, no questions asked. You deserve better. You may not see it now, but you will.” she wiped a tear of his away.</p><p>“You will.” She whispered.</p><p>She turned around and started to turn the doorknob.</p><p>“No, Katara…no.” He brushed his hand against hers.</p><p>“It hurts me too, ok? But this has to happen. You know me better than anyone, so you know this has to happen.”</p><p>He knew it, but that didn’t stop him from not wanting it to happen.</p><p>She opened the door, he stood next to her.</p><p>Katara turned toward him. They looked each other in the eyes, for a long moment.</p><p>Katara cupped his cheeks with her hands.</p><p>“Goodbye.” She choked the word out.</p><p>“I love you, Katara.” Zuko’s eyes were producing countless tears, he sniffled.</p><p>“Stop.” She wiped his tears away with her hands before dropping them to her side once more.</p><p>“I love you.” He said again.</p><p>“I love you more.” And with that, she was gone.</p><p>She exited the house and shut the door behind her.</p><p>She wiped her excess tears away with the back of her hand, and began walking toward her car.</p><p>Zuko was left alone inside his little house, he was angry at himself for letting her leave. He smacked his cassette display, causing all of the tapes to scatter across the floor.</p><p>“Fuck.” He said under his breath.</p><p>He kneeled onto the floor, and began picking all of them up. As he did so, he found a cassette he didn’t even know he had. He knew there was something he had to do with it.</p><hr/><p>The next few days were rough, for both Zuko and Katara. They saw each other at school, but said nothing. Neither of them went to the alley spot.</p><p>Katara told Suki about the whole thing, and although Suki didn’t exactly agree with Katara’s choice, she couldn’t tell her what to do. Suki wanted Katara to be happy, and Suki saw that Katara thought this would make her happier.</p><p>Katara liked the idea that she wasn’t the one messing up Zuko’s life, she didn’t want to be apart of it anymore because she loved him, and that feeling was too strong, and she couldn’t deal with it properly in her current phase of life. It was assuring to her that she wouldn’t be something in his life that would hold him back.</p><p>Zuko just wanted Katara to be happy, and if this was the way it’d do it, then he’d get by. It hurt him, seeing her, and not being able to go talk to her. He’d see her in the cafeteria, laughing with Suki and Sokka, and he’d wonder what would happen if he just went over there, and placed his arm around her and pretended like their last conversation never happened, that they would be together, that Katara loved Zuko enough to be with him. But she didn’t, and that idea, hurt Zuko the most.</p><p>One day, after school, on a cold rainy day, he dropped a little box off at her house. He didn’t knock, didn’t wait for Katara to get it. He placed it in her mailbox, and left, quick and quiet.</p><p>Katara found the box shortly after he dropped it off. She took the small brown parcel up to her room and unwrapped it. Inside, was a cassette tape, the jacket read <em>ABBA Hits</em>. Along with it was a folded white envelope with her name scribbled on the front.</p><p>She examined the cassette and placed it on her dresser, her eyes watered a little bit, but she didn’t cry. She knew that would become her most played cassette, along with the one Zuko made her.</p><p><em>God, he doesn’t even like ABBA</em>, Katara thought.</p><p>She looked at the wrinkled envelope, knowing the messy handwriting was his, and whatever sort of letter was on the inside was from him.</p><p>She didn’t want to read it, she couldn’t.</p><p>She tossed the envelope onto her dresser and threw the waste of the box away.</p><p>She left her bedroom, with no intent to ever read what Zuko had written.</p><hr/><p><b> <em>TIME JUMP: </em> </b> <em>ABOUT TEN YEARS LATER</em></p><p>It was the late 1990s, the turn of the century was just around the corner, and Katara couldn’t have been more excited. She’d graduated from college a few years ago, with a degree in journalism. She’d been working for a newspaper in a big city as a columnist for the past few years. It turns out her avid journaling throughout her childhood and school years hadn’t just been a hobby, but something she found out she was good at, and wanted to do for the rest of her life. Recently, her boss sent her home. He wanted her to write a piece about her hometown, but also spend the turn of the decade with her family.</p><p>She hadn’t set foot in her hometown in a few years, she was happy but anxious to explore all of the old places to try to find her story. It was her first day back, and after greeting her Gran and visiting Suki and Sokka, who had moved in together in an apartment building uptown, she decided to drive around town, getting nostalgic from merely looking at all of the different places.</p><p>She passed the skate park that Toph and Aang used to skate at, and eventually went downtown, where she saw her favorite music store was still open. She decided to stop in there first, maybe she could find inspiration for her story and pick up a new vinyl or some CDs.</p><p>Katara entered the store, her hands clasped around her purse. She began browsing the CD section, she noticed a taller guy wearing a flannel standing in front of her. He was browsing the boxes of cassettes. In his back pocket, she noticed a Walkman cassette player peeking out.</p><p>With that, she knew exactly who it was.</p><p>
  <em>Zuko.</em>
</p><p>She saw her name written on the player in black ink. The marker had faded a bit, but it was still there.</p><p>Her heart stopped.</p><p><em>It was him</em>.</p><p>She examined his back, he’d grown maybe an inch, and his fashion sense seemed to have stayed pretty consistent. She noticed a rectangular box in his other back pocket, which she assumed was a box of cigarettes.</p><p>She smiled, memories from years ago began flooding back.</p><p><em>He still has the Walkman</em>, Katara thought.</p><p>She walked around the boxes of CDs, and stood next to him. She began browsing the cassettes herself. When she was close to him, she smelled him, it wasn’t the same smell from all those years ago, he’d changed his cologne slightly, but it was still Zuko.</p><p>And she couldn’t believe it.</p><p>“You know, Walkmans are so last year. Everyone’s using CDs nowadays.”</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>HEYYY I KNOW THIS CHAPTER IS SHORT IM SORRY i needed to set up the scene for next chapter, if i kept going it would get too long shfshfsfha anyway lmk your thoughts and thanks for reading :)))</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0019"><h2>19. Chapter 19</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <em>“You know, Walkmans are so last year. Everyone’s using CDs nowadays.”</em>
</p>
<p>“Katara?” Zuko knew it was her by just the sound of her voice.</p>
<p>He turned toward her, she was smiling, and Zuko felt himself get fuzzy on the inside, a feeling he hadn’t felt <em>since </em>high school.</p>
<p><em>Since </em>he was with Katara.</p>
<p>She wore baggy blue jeans, and a tight black tank top accompanied by a black corduroy jacket. Her hair was no longer teased, and was cut to just below her shoulders. She had kept the natural curls, and tamed it with a blue hair scarf.</p>
<p>“Long time no see.” She couldn’t stop smiling.</p>
<p>“God, Katara!” It finally fully registered to him that it was her, and Zuko threw his arms around her.</p>
<p>She chuckled as she wrapped her arms around him.</p>
<p>Katara buried her head into his flannel and held him the same was she did back then, tight and close.</p>
<p>The embrace lasted a long moment, until they both broke it.</p>
<p>“What…what are you doing here? Last I heard you got a job in the city.” Zuko’s eyes examined her up and down.</p>
<p>She was even more beautiful than he remembered.</p>
<p>“Yeah well my boss sent me…hey wait, where did you hear that from?” Katara cocked an eyebrow.</p>
<p>“My uncle and your gran, they’re good friends, she never shuts up about you, then Iroh passes the info on to me.” He explained quickly and casually.</p>
<p>“Oh, I see. Well, anyway, my boss sent me here for the new year, and also, I’m a columnist at the newspaper, so I’m supposed to find a thought provoking story from my hometown.” Katara crossed her arms.</p>
<p>“Oh, I see. Strictly business related, huh?” Zuko held back a smile.</p>
<p>“You could say that.”</p>
<p>“A columnist, huh? That explains why you used to scribble in your journal everyday at the uh…the alley spot.” Zuko’s eyes went the ground and then glanced back to Katara.</p>
<p>“The alley spot! Holy shit…how could I forget.” Her eyes grew wide.</p>
<p>“My alley spot.” She chuckled.</p>
<p>“<em>Our</em> alley spot.” Zuko corrected.</p>
<p>“Yeah, yeah, you’re right.” Katara rolled her eyes.</p>
<p>It was like they had just stepped back in time to ten years ago. They both stared at each other, each of them breathing slowly, but their hearts pounding to the beat of the same drum. At this moment, they only remembered bits and pieces of what their relationship was. One thing was for sure though, whatever spark they had then, was rekindling at just the current mere presence of one another.</p>
<p>And they both felt it.</p>
<p>“Hey, are you free right now? We could head down to the Dragon?” Zuko’s heart pounded faster if that was even possible. He felt like a teenager again, asking a cute girl out on a date, and nervously awaiting her answer.</p>
<p>“The Dragon?! That sounds perfect. Can we?” Katara nearly began jumping up and down.</p>
<p>Zuko tried to hold back his smile, but he couldn’t and soon enough it was plastered across his lips.</p>
<p>“Yeah, come on, my car’s up front.” He dug in his front pocket for his car keys.</p>
<p>He began walking toward the exit, but before walking out the door, Katara saw him exchange a few words with the young man behind the counter. After doing so, he opened the door, letting Katara out first.</p>
<p>“Everything ok?” She inquired.</p>
<p>“Yeah, I just told him to close up shop in a few hours. I uh…I own the store now.” Zuko stepped outside and as he did he put his coat on.</p>
<p>“You own the music store?!” Katara’s eyes sparkled.</p>
<p>Zuko didn't think he ever felt more validated in his life than he did that moment Katara's eyes lit up.</p>
<p>“Yeah…”</p>
<p>They began walking down the sidewalk side by side.</p>
<p>“I thought…you were planning on moving away.” Katara suddenly remembered a small detail about Zuko that she wished she could forget again—his father.</p>
<p>“Yeah, well, I did college away…then I came back here. Iroh needed my help, you know, he’s getting old, and on top of that I didn’t want him to be lonely. Then, I worked at the music store full time, and the old owner moved out of the country, so he passed the store to me. It’s such a good thing though, because if it weren’t for me, the store probably would have closed.” Zuko took his pack of cigarettes out from his back pocket.</p>
<p>He placed one between his lips, and lit it.</p>
<p>Katara inhaled the scent, and was sent back through time.</p>
<p>“Well, you’re somewhat of a music hero then, huh?” Katara shook her head.</p>
<p>“Whatever.”</p>
<p>“Maybe…maybe I could do my story on that! Like…the music store, and the rise of CDs and what the best sellers are right now?”</p>
<p>They continued to walk.</p>
<p>“That’s kinda boring. Besides, people read about most of that in <em>Rolling Stone</em>.” Zuko took a short drag of his cigarette.</p>
<p>“You’re right…God, I’m never gonna find a topic for this article.” Katara sighed, her expression fell as she began to think about work.</p>
<p>“Hey…it’s only your first day here, right? You got time. You’re brilliant, you’ll think of something.” Zuko spoke nonchalantly.</p>
<p>Katara wondered how he was able to call her brilliant in such a casual, matter-of-fact, tone. It made her blush.</p>
<p>“Thanks.” She replied.</p>
<p>Zuko took a turn off the side walk and unlocked his car.</p>
<p>Katara recognized it right away.</p>
<p>“Your Buick? You still have it? Holy shit!” She placed her hand on its hood.</p>
<p>“Yeah, it’s my most prized possession…well, and my Walkman.” Zuko took a seat inside.</p>
<p>Katara popped open the passenger seat door, and the familiarity struck. The scent of his old cologne still lingered in the car. The scent made Katara want to cry, but she couldn’t exactly put a finger on why.</p>
<p>“Wow.” She shut the door behind her and looked around the interior of the car.</p>
<p>Zuko took his pack of cigarettes and his Walkman out of his back pockets and placed them in the cup holders that sat next to the gear shift so he wouldn't sit on them.</p>
<p>Katara glanced down to the Walkman.</p>
<p>“Can’t believe you still have that…” She trailed off.</p>
<p>Katara felt guilty after her statement, she definitely wasn’t one to talk…she’d been carrying the letter Zuko wrote her all those tears ago, unopened, in her wallet. It was with her wherever she went.</p>
<p>“Yeah, well…” Zuko put out his cigarette before putting the car into reverse.</p>
<p>“You could have gotten a new one, you know, without my name scribbled on it.”</p>
<p>“I like the memory.” Zuko replied plainly.</p>
<p>The pair sat quiet for a few long moments. They stared out their respective windows, and as Katara spent more time with Zuko more memories flooded back, and some of them, maybe she didn’t want to remember.</p>
<p>“Well, uh, let’s see what cassettes you have in here.” Katara began digging through his cassettes.</p>
<p>He was quiet.</p>
<p>“Tears for Fears, how about some Everybody Wants to Rule the World?” She put the cassette into the machine before Zuko could answer.</p>
<p>“Really?” He rolled his eyes.</p>
<p>The intro for the song began.</p>
<p>“I have better cassettes in there.” He badgered.</p>
<p>“Come on, don’t be a…ready for this…Piece of Work.” Katara turned the volume on the stereo up.</p>
<p>“You are and always will be the Piece of Work.” Zuko shouted over the radio.</p>
<p>Katara began singing, Zuko noted her singing voice did not get any better over the years. In fact, he thought it may have gotten worse.</p>
<p>“You’re really gonna make me sing alone, huh?” Katara raised her voice over the music.</p>
<p>Zuko said nothing, he held back a smile.</p>
<p>Katara glanced at him, and saw him trying to hold it back.</p>
<p>“If it was Love My Way, I know you’d sing along.” Katara turned the volume down slightly, so she could speak in a normal tone.</p>
<p>“Remember? That was…”</p>
<p>“Our song.” He finished the sentence for her, halfheartedly.</p>
<p>He then placed his car in park.</p>
<p>“We’re uh, we’re here.” He took the keys out of the ignition, and exited the car abruptly.</p>
<p>Katara could tell she must have said something that made his mood sort of change.</p>
<p>She followed him inside the restaurant.</p>
<p>“Zuko, I’m sorry…did I, say something?” Katara tucked a strand of hair behind her ear as she followed Zuko into a booth.</p>
<p>“No…why are you apologizing?” He rose an eyebrow.</p>
<p>“I just thought your mood kind of changed suddenly…”</p>
<p>“Well, I’m gonna be honest with you, we have some great memories together, but then again, we have some not so great ones, too.”</p>
<p>Katara felt her heart fall.</p>
<p>She knew exactly what he was talking about.</p>
<p>“Zuko—“</p>
<p>“No. You don’t have to say anything.” He spoke quickly, and gazed down at the menu on the table.</p>
<p>She felt her stomach begin to turn. She wasn’t so hungry anymore.</p>
<p>“Look who it is!” Iroh stood at the edge of the table.</p>
<p>“Hi Iroh.” Katara faked a smile, still feeling sick to her stomach as more memories came back to her.</p>
<p>“Zuko’s been wondering if you’d ever come back to town—“</p>
<p>“Uncle.” Zuko’s cheeks turned bright red.</p>
<p>“Yeah, well, it’s nice to be back.” Katara glanced over at Zuko, whose eyes were still glued to the menu.</p>
<p>“Zuko, you know everything on the menu.” Iroh snatched the menu away from him.</p>
<p>“Hey!” His cheeks only got redder.</p>
<p>“I think I’ll just have a nice warm cup of green tea.” Katara ignored the interaction.</p>
<p>“Excellent choice, I’ll throw in a little honey too, how about it?” Iroh smirked.</p>
<p>“Perfect.”</p>
<p>“And, I know Zuko’s usual…so, I’ll leave you two.” With that, Iroh disappeared.</p>
<p>“Uncle, what if I want something else?” Zuko hollered, but Iroh was already gone.</p>
<p>Katara laughed, but held it back, she covered her mouth with her hand.</p>
<p>“What?” Zuko frowned.</p>
<p>“Nothing…”</p>
<p>For the next few moments they were quiet. It was a little awkward, but how else would it be when the person you believed ten years ago was the love of your life was sitting across from you? They hadn’t acknowledged it to each other, but, neither of them ever forgot the other. The Walkman sat a few feet away, motionless in the cup holder of Zuko’s old Buick and the letter addressed to Katara was folded neatly in her wallet, ready for her to read at any moment, but she never did. She had no intent to ever read it, all these years later.</p>
<p>Why didn’t she?</p>
<p>Zuko assumed she must have read it, but she didn’t.</p>
<p>She didn’t because she knew if she did, she would have stayed.</p>
<p>She would have gone to his little house, knocked on the door, collapsed into his arms, and mumbled over and over the words ‘I love you’, but she loved him <em>too much</em> to do that.</p>
<p>She loved him too much to ever read it, and Zuko wouldn’t understand that.</p>
<p>“Are you doing anything tonight?” Katara broke the silence.</p>
<p>Zuko glanced up at her.</p>
<p>“I…I don’t know.”</p>
<p>“Suki, Sokka, and I are going to a bar. You should come. I…I want you to come.”</p>
<p>He played with his fingers, a nervous habit of his that Katara remembered.</p>
<p>“I don’t know.”</p>
<p>She wanted to reach for his hands across the table, and cradle them in hers, and tell him she never stopped caring for him, but instead,</p>
<p>“Please come.” She folded her hands in her lap.</p>
<p>He scratched the back of his head and looked over to her, getting lost in her blue eyes.</p>
<p>Ten years had passed, and he could still never say no to her.</p>
<p>“Ok.” His tone was soft.</p>
<p>“This is perfect, Suki and Sokka will be so excited to see you, too!” Katara smiled.</p>
<p>“I don’t know if ‘excited’ is the word. What about Aang and Toph? They still around here? I haven’t seen them.” Zuko examined Katara after speaking.</p>
<p>He still couldn’t wrap his mind around the fact that she was here, living and breathing, right in front of him. Like she never really even left.</p>
<p>“Well, last I heard Aang is on a different continent. We all knew he could never stay in one place for too long. Toph’s in the city, I go out to lunch with her every now and then.” Katara played with a loose strand of her hair.</p>
<p>“So…you and Aang…I remember he had a pretty big crush on you…” Zuko smirked.</p>
<p>“Oh, God, no, don’t bring this up—“</p>
<p>“That ever go anywhere?”</p>
<p>“I let him down easy, ok?” She scoffed.</p>
<p>Zuko started playing with his fingers once more, making Katara begin to feel uneasy.</p>
<p>“Is that bar still open, where we went to the concert that one time? We could go there.” Katara broke the awkward silence.</p>
<p>She wondered why she even came to the diner with Zuko in the first place, it seemed like he suddenly didn’t care about her anymore. Maybe she shouldn’t have badgered him into coming tonight, maybe he only invited her to the Dragon to be polite.</p>
<p>“Yeah, it is, we could go there.” Zuko glanced over to her.</p>
<p>He tried not to show it, but he was met with such contradicting feelings by just looking at Katara. She was so beautiful, someone he didn’t go a day without thinking about for the past ten years, but at the same time, she’d broken his heart, and he was dying to know if she felt the same way...if his absence from her life was just as painful as hers from his.</p>
<p>“Why did you do it?” His heart beat felt like it stopped completely right as the words left his mouth.</p>
<p>“What are you talking about?” She furrowed her brow.</p>
<p>She knew what he was talking about.</p>
<p>Katara gazed into Zuko’s suddenly intensified amber eyes.</p>
<p>“Why’d you…leave?” He sat up straight.</p>
<p>“You know why.” Katara spoke quickly.</p>
<p>Iroh came to the table and set down their orders.</p>
<p>He examined both of them and saw they each had flustered looks on their faces.</p>
<p>“Um…on the house. Enjoy.” He smiled before leaving abruptly, knowing he didn’t want to be apart of whatever conversation they were having.</p>
<p>“Katara, come on…I’ve-I’ve wondered why for the past ten years, don’t you think I deserve an answer?” He glanced down to his cup of tea and back to her.</p>
<p>“That’s exactly it…it was ten years ago…I—“</p>
<p>“Just please, tell me why.”</p>
<p>Katara couldn’t even inhale the scent of her tea without feeling nauseous. It was all overwhelming, it was like the exact feelings she ran away from all those years ago began to resurface. On top of that, guilt began to eat away at her insides.</p>
<p>
  <em>Maybe she should have read the letter.</em>
</p>
<p>“I thought it was best for you. I thought it was just…. best. I mean, we both turned out alright didn’t we? We were just kids then.” Katara mustered together an answer, she knew it was half-assed, but she didn’t know what else to say.</p>
<p>Zuko took a sip from his tea without a word.</p>
<p>Then, finally,</p>
<p>“We should go to the alley spot together, while you’re here…for old times sake.” He shot his eyes up at her, away from the surface of the table where he used to be staring.</p>
<p>Zuko knew Katara’s answer was bullshit, he knew ten years later she was still reluctant to admit the truth: she broke it off because she was scared. He wanted to hear her say it, but she wouldn’t. He wondered if she was still scared now, maybe terrified. He tried to ‘read’ her, but much like how unsuccessful that quest was all those years ago, he came up with nothing.</p>
<p>But he did <em>know</em> her, God, he knew her. Even though they were both pushing thirty and hadn’t spoken a word to each other since Katara closed the door behind her after telling him she loved him more…he still knew her, better than anyone.</p>
<p>But Zuko didn’t know that himself, and neither did Katara. And if she did know that, she’d get scared…terrified…maybe run away again. But not just out of fear for herself, fear for Zuko, fear for the fact that she never stopped loving him, fear that she would be a ‘fuck up’ all over again.</p>
<p>“We’d probably get in trouble…I mean…two adults sitting on the ground next to the back door of a high school? It’d definitely be suspicious.” Katara finally took the first sip of her tea. She hoped it would help her stomach.</p>
<p>“You threw drunken ragers every weekend at an abandoned barn right next to the highway throughout most of your high school experience, and you’re afraid of ‘getting in trouble’ for just sitting next to a public school building?” Zuko scoffed.</p>
<p>“It’s trespassing! Are you peer pressuring me into something I don’t want to do? God, this <em>is</em> high school all over again.” Katara half smiled as she stirred around the honey in her tea.</p>
<p>“Hey, <em>I</em> never once did that.” Zuko smiled slightly.</p>
<p>“Yeah that’s true, I did get a cigarette off of you once, but that was on me.” Katara scrunched her nose.</p>
<p>Zuko’s heart beat quickened as she did so, he remembered that little quirk of hers.</p>
<p>“Which was definitely your first one. I knew you were lying.” He rose an eyebrow, hoping to get a reaction out of her.</p>
<p>He did.</p>
<p>“Of course you knew,” She shook her head and laughed, “I just really wanted to seem cool.” She rolled her eyes, and took another sip of her tea.</p>
<p>“Well, that didn’t do it, but whatever you did later on…I eventually definitely thought you were cool.” He rested his chin on the palm of his hand with the support of his elbow.</p>
<p>“Wait…wait…let me guess when it was…when I charmed you with my amazing singing voice?” Katara placed her pointer finger on her chin and squinted her eyes.</p>
<p>“No…that took some getting used to.”</p>
<p>“How about <em>whennnnn </em>I was so drunk you had to literally carry me into my house and tuck me into bed?”</p>
<p>“Nope.”</p>
<p>“What about…”</p>
<p>And Katara went on, listing different memories and moments her and Zuko had together…wondering at what exact moment Zuko thought she was ‘cool’.</p>
<p>Zuko knew she’d never guess it, because it was the most unlikely moment…when he saw her dancing carelessly to ABBA on that one autumn night in the barn. One of their first nights together.</p>
<p>He was right, she never guessed it.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0020"><h2>20. Chapter 20</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>“Zuko’s coming?!” Sokka’s voice was full of surprise as the bartender placed a beer in front of him.</p>
<p>The bar was crowded, but not so much so that there wasn’t any space. Katara, Suki, and Sokka found a spot at the bar, while many other people lounged around the rest of the establishment. There wasn’t any live music that night, so the stage area was open, making more room for people.</p>
<p>“Yeah, after we ran into each other, I invited him. So he should be here any minute.” Katara glanced over to the door of the bar, wondering when she would see him enter.</p>
<p>“Katara, I cannot believe you,” Suki’s pint glass was already half empty and they’d only just arrived a few minutes ago, “you broke this guys heart all those years ago and now you’re—“</p>
<p>“It wasn’t like that. It was different.” Katara didn’t let her finish.</p>
<p>She looked over to Suki, whose cheeks were already getting warm from alcohol.</p>
<p>“You know that.” Katara continued.</p>
<p>Suki did know that. Months, even a couple years after Katara broke things off with Zuko, she would always go to Suki. She’d cried a few times to her about him, more often than not she ranted about him, looking for reassurance—and that was something Suki never gave her since she never agreed with Katara’s decision in the first place.</p>
<p>Katara never told Suki about the letter. Suki believed all these years that Katara brought this onto herself, which was true, but at the same time, even though the core actions were her own, it didn’t take away how painful the first few months away from Zuko felt. How painful these past ten years felt.</p>
<p>“Ok, ok, fine, I do.” Suki began to smile, “So…are you trying to rekindle a fire?”</p>
<p>“Suki??” Katara felt her face turn red.</p>
<p>“She totally is.” Sokka took a sip from his beer.</p>
<p>“I’m just trying to be friendly.” Katara shook her head and frowned.</p>
<p>“Maybe a little too friendly if you ask me.” Sokka put his arm around Suki.</p>
<p>“Would you just shut it? We’re old high school friends, there’s no harm in asking him to hang out with us. You guys are so immature.” Katara was frustrated.</p>
<p>“Christ Katara, what are you getting so butthurt for?” Sokka chuckled.</p>
<p>“You guys were more than just high school friends. I mean, I’d be all for you guys trying to—“</p>
<p>“Can we just change the subject?” Katara interrupted Suki.</p>
<p>As she did, she glanced over to the door, where it swung open to reveal Zuko.</p>
<p>He stood awkwardly for a moment before finding Katara in the sea of people. He then made his way over.</p>
<p>“Uh, hi.” He greeted halfheartedly.</p>
<p>“Hi Zuko! It’s been awhile.” Suki cradled her beer in her hands and smiled.</p>
<p>“Definitely has.” Zuko looked to Katara, who had been staring at Zuko.</p>
<p>Realizing he probably noticed she’d been staring, she flinched her glance away toward the ground.</p>
<p>“Good choice of bar, I love this place.” Sokka clapped him on the shoulder.</p>
<p>Zuko half smiled.</p>
<p>The bar tender approached the four of them.</p>
<p>“What else can I get you lot over here?” He had a pierced nose and wore all black.</p>
<p>“I’ll take a ginger ale.” Zuko nodded.</p>
<p>“You can get something else…” Katara looked up to Zuko, even just looking at him was starting to make her blush.</p>
<p>She felt the most nervous she ever had in years, and she couldn’t pinpoint exactly why.</p>
<p>“I don’t drink.” He said.</p>
<p>“Oh…right….I forgot.” She squinted her eyes shut.</p>
<p>“It’s ok, Katara it’s been almost a decade.” He smiled at her, but she felt sick of embarrassment.</p>
<p>The bar tender had lingered.</p>
<p>“I’ll take a ginger ale too.” She said.</p>
<p>He nodded.</p>
<p>“No, Katara, you didn’t have to—“</p>
<p>“It’s ok, I want to.” She looked away from the ground over to him.</p>
<p>“Alright, well, I think I wanna play 8-ball, who wants to join?” Suki stood up from her bar stool.</p>
<p>They looked away from each other over to her.</p>
<p>“Me!” Sokka exclaimed.</p>
<p>He stood up as well, and they scurried off to the 8-ball table in the corner of the bar.</p>
<p>As soon as they were gone, the bar tender set down the two ginger ales. Katara and Zuko took the seats that Suki and Sokka had left.</p>
<p>“They’re still together, after all these years?” Zuko took a sip from his glass.</p>
<p>“Yeah, I mean, it’s Suki and Sokka, I think we all knew they were gonna last forever.” Katara smirked as she glanced over to them in the corner.</p>
<p>There was a short silence.</p>
<p>Katara turned back around.</p>
<p>“So what’s new with you? We did our reminiscing at the Dragon today…what’s life like now?” She rested her temple on the palm of her hand, and propped herself up with her elbow.</p>
<p>“Well, what do you wanna know?” He leaned a little closer to her.</p>
<p>Even just a few inches closer like that gave Katara the urge to grab him by the shirt and just kiss him.</p>
<p>Zuko wanted to do the same.</p>
<p>But neither of them would.</p>
<p>“Do you have a girlfriend?” Katara asked quickly, she felt her less than sporadic blush return.</p>
<p><em>Why did I ask that</em>, Katara thought.</p>
<p>“No, I…I don’t.” Zuko smiled subtly.</p>
<p>Katara felt her heartbeat return to a normal pace, she was relieved with the answer. She tried to convince herself it didn’t even matter if he did have one, but she was unsuccessful.</p>
<p>She knew her feelings were coming back, and so were his—but she was oblivious to that.</p>
<p>“H-How about you? You probably have a boyfriend right? Engaged, I’m assuming.” Zuko’s small smile faded as he took another sip from his ginger ale.</p>
<p>“No…I’m single. What made you think all that?” Katara eyes traced, Zuko’s facial features.</p>
<p>She noticed his eyebrows were slightly bushier then she remembered, and that his nose was the same shape. She noted his skin was still pale and glowing as she had pictured it, and that his lips were the same light pink—</p>
<p>“I mean…you’re beautiful, successful, living in a big city, and you’re just…Katara, I thought you’d definitely have some long term relationship or have a just as beautiful and successful fiancé.” His tone was bitter, and Katara wasn’t sure how to take it.</p>
<p>“Well, I could say the same about you.”</p>
<p>“What?” He scoffed.</p>
<p>“You’re beautiful, successful—owning the freaking best music store ever, living in a town full of some lovely young women, why aren’t you engaged?” She stirred her drink with its small black straw.</p>
<p>His cheeks were red, he shrugged.</p>
<p>He wanted to tell her that he was single because he’d never met anyone else who made him feel the way he felt when he was with Katara…that his relationships over the past few years were nothing compared to their ‘what almost was’ when they were eighteen.</p>
<p>“Well, it doesn’t matter. She’ll come eventually…in the meantime, being single is pretty fun.” Katara nudged Zuko lightly on the arm.</p>
<p><em>She’ll come eventually, </em>Zuko thought, <em>God, she’s right next to me, that’s the problem</em>.</p>
<p>He couldn’t stand it anymore. He needed to know if she felt the same all these years, why she hadn’t done what the letter said, and if she was feeling the way he was feeling right now.</p>
<p>“Katara, I think we should…talk.”</p>
<p>Katara straightened her posture, she felt her nervous stomachache return from the void.</p>
<p>Before he could continue, or she could respond, a hand fell onto Katara’s shoulder.</p>
<p>“Holy shit, K-Katara! It is you?” She knew his voice.</p>
<p>
  <em>Jet.</em>
</p>
<p>His breath reeked of alcohol.</p>
<p>“Oh…hi, Jet.” Her voice was quiet.</p>
<p>She felt awkward with his hand still lingering on her shoulder, so she turned slightly toward him, and pushed it off. Katara glanced over to Zuko who was giving Jet the death glare.</p>
<p>“W-wow, y-you r-really b-blossomed, huh?” He leaned in close to her face.</p>
<p>He was completely and utterly wasted.</p>
<p>Katara pressed her back up against the bar, trying to stay as far away as possible, but Jet was only a couple inches away from her face.</p>
<p>This was when Zuko stood up.</p>
<p>“Hey, back off.” His voice was threatening, and he took Katara’s hand loosely into his.</p>
<p>Her stomach was flooded with butterflies as his touch.</p>
<p>He pulled her hand, so she would stand up with him and be away from right under Jet’s nose.</p>
<p>“Scar Face? Is that y-you?” Jet laughed.</p>
<p>He inched in close to Zuko’s face now.</p>
<p>Zuko just continued to glare, he let go of Katara’s hand and wrapped his arm around her waist and pressed her to his side.</p>
<p>“A-After a-all these years, y-you’re st-still slumming it, huh?” Jet removed his gaze from Zuko and looked to Katara.</p>
<p>He reached for a piece of her hair, Zuko pushed him.</p>
<p>“Zuko.” Katara said sharply.</p>
<p>She was having flashbacks, to that one night at the barn, when Zuko and Jet had gotten into it.</p>
<p>He took a step in front of her, she was no longer clinging to his side. People around the bar began to look over, Katara wanted it to stop.</p>
<p>“What’s th-the deal?” Jet stammered over his words.</p>
<p>“Leave.” Zuko’s voice was demanding.</p>
<p>Katara couldn’t stand it, she took a step closer to them.</p>
<p>“S-She’s probably s-slept with t-the whole t-town by now, I-I wouldn’t be surprised. D-Don’t act-act so special.” Jet hollered it, for the whole bar to hear.</p>
<p>Now, everyone was looking over.</p>
<p>Zuko was seeing red, and Katara was so overwhelmed she didn’t know what to do.</p>
<p>Before anyone could say or do anything about the situation, Zuko threw a punch across Jet’s face, knocking him to the ground. Jet brought Zuko down with him.</p>
<p>“Guys, stop!” She leaned over the pair who now proceeded to fight on the ground.</p>
<p>Suddenly the man behind the bar came over and broke the two up, he threw them out the front door.</p>
<p>“Stay out.” He hissed before slamming the door.</p>
<p>Katara ran over to Zuko’s side, his unscarred eye was big and swollen.</p>
<p>“You’re stupid, you know that?” She cradled the back of Zuko’s head in her hand.</p>
<p>She glanced over to Jet, whose friends were hovering over him.</p>
<p>Katara rolled her eyes and felt sick to her stomach.</p>
<p><em>Some people never change,</em> she thought.</p>
<p>“Come on, get up.” She helped Zuko stand.</p>
<p>He had a swollen eye, and his nose was bleeding a little bit.</p>
<p>He said nothing.</p>
<p>“Can you see? Can you drive? We gotta get you home.”</p>
<p>Zuko’s eyesight was a little impaired from his burn scar, she wondered if he was even able to see at all with his good eye nearly swollen shut.</p>
<p>“I can.” He stumbled.</p>
<p>He was dizzy.</p>
<p>“Really now? Ok, how many fingers am I holding up?” Katara held four fingers in the air, right in front of him.</p>
<p>“Easy, two.” Zuko shrugged.</p>
<p>“No, it’s not, it’s four. Come on, I’ll drive you home.” She wrapped her arm around his lower back to guide him as they walked to his car.</p>
<p>“You obviously can’t see right now, don’t try to lie about it, ok? If you would have driven you would have gotten into an accident.” Katara was furious, not with Zuko, with Jet—and the situation in general.</p>
<p>“You don’t need to worry about me.” Zuko said plainly.</p>
<p>“I think I should be worried, you just got into a bar fight and now you can barely see.” Katara scoffed.</p>
<p>She opened the passenger door to his car and guided him inside. After doing so she sat at the wheel.</p>
<p>“Give me your keys.” She demanded.</p>
<p>“I can…I can drive…I—“</p>
<p>“Zuko, just give me your goddamn keys.” Katara clenched her teeth.</p>
<p>Zuko dug around in his pocket, and then handed her his key ring.</p>
<p>She started the car.</p>
<p>“You’re so fucking stupid, Zuko. This isn’t high school anymore, you could have gotten arrested,” she put the car into drive, “on top of that, this is a small town, how do you think your music store business will do when everyone finds out you got in a bar fight? People are gonna talk.” Katara felt tears prick at her eyes.</p>
<p>“Christ, Katara, did you hear what he said about you? And he tried to fucking touch you, I wasn’t just gonna sit there and let him do that. What did you want me to do?” Zuko was fuming.</p>
<p>“Nothing! Ignore him!” She drove down the dimly lit road.</p>
<p>“I wasn’t going to ignore him. Did you see how drunk he was? It was fucking repulsive. I’m sure he would have tried to do more if I didn’t stop him.”</p>
<p>“Well, Zuko, you’re not my boyfriend, I don’t need protection or whatever the hell you think that was.”</p>
<p>He laughed, “<em>Boyfriend</em>?”, he furrowed his brow, “Fucking hell, Katara, I care about you, ok? I always will and I wasn’t gonna let some asshole get away with saying shit like that. He deserved what he got. No one should act like that, he had it coming. The whole town hates him anyway.” Zuko crossed his arms.</p>
<p>“Tell me where you live.” Katara’s voice wavered.</p>
<p>“What?”</p>
<p>“Give me your goddamn address, I don’t know where I’m going. I don’t know where you live now.”</p>
<p>Zuko said nothing for a moment.</p>
<p>“The apartments, on 25th.” He finally spoke.</p>
<p>Katara nodded.</p>
<p>Her eyes stayed glued to the road.</p>
<p>They sat in silence until they got to his apartment complex.</p>
<p>Neither of them knew what exactly to say. Zuko wouldn’t say it to her and could barely admit it to himself, but one of the reasons he beat up Jet so easily was because he never stopped being in love with her. It’s true he never stopped caring for Katara, but his feelings treaded far beyond <em>just</em> caring for her. He never stopped thinking about her. And now, not even in his life again for twenty four hours, he’d do anything for her.</p>
<p>Katara couldn’t wrap her head around the fact that Zuko went to so much trouble for her, she already felt like she was becoming a burden.</p>
<p>“I’m sorry.” She spoke as she pulled into the parking lot.</p>
<p>“Katara, sorry for what?” He wanted to reach over the seat and embrace her.</p>
<p>He felt as though the ten years had faded away, and that she was eighteen again and so was he, and he felt the urge to hold her and tell her nothing was her fault, he wanted to tell her he never planned on leaving her then, and he sure as hell wasn’t going to now.</p>
<p>“It’s my fault, I should have handled him, I just…I froze. And now, you’re hurt and—“</p>
<p>“Stop.” He turned his head toward her, his vision was labored, so he only saw her shape.</p>
<p>She looked over to him for a moment before exiting the car. Katara helped him out of the car, and he gave her directions to his place.</p>
<p>They entered the building and rode the elevator up seven floors before reaching his door. Katara used his key ring to open it.</p>
<p>“Bedroom’s to the left.” Zuko grumbled.</p>
<p>Katara, her arm wrapped around Zuko, went to the left and entered his room.</p>
<p>She helped him lay down on his bed.</p>
<p>“Can you see anything better?” Katara asked.</p>
<p>“I…I think so.” Zuko lied.</p>
<p>Katara scrambled off.</p>
<p>“Where are you going?” Zuko saw her figure disappear.</p>
<p>“I’m getting you some ice, and a wash cloth.” She frantically explored his apartment, trying to find the needed supplies.</p>
<p>She did so quickly, before returning to his bedside.</p>
<p>“Katara, I’m ok.” He said softly.</p>
<p>Katara placed the ice pack on his eye. She took his hand in hers and pressed it onto the ice pack to keep it in place.</p>
<p>He flinched slightly.</p>
<p>“Fucking cold.” He mumbled.</p>
<p>“Kind of what an ice pack is for.” Katara replied.</p>
<p>He snickered.</p>
<p>“Don’t move.” Katara smiled softly.</p>
<p>She began cleaning up the blood from underneath his nose. She pressed gently.</p>
<p>Since Zuko’s vision was still blurry, he couldn’t really make her out, but she was only inches away from his face. Her hair tickled his ear.</p>
<p>“You still use the same hair spray. The…the smell.” His voice was small.</p>
<p>Katara froze.</p>
<p>“Yeah.” Is all she said.</p>
<p>She was glad Zuko could barely see her, because she felt her entire face turn tomato red. It was probably her deepest blush yet.</p>
<p>Katara always used to note how Zuko smelled, thinking about how he documented hers too made her feel fuzzy.</p>
<p>“I…I don’t think it’s broken.” She examined his nose after she cleaned up all the blood.</p>
<p>“I don’t think so either…but my eye just hurts like a bitch.” Zuko tried sitting up.</p>
<p>“No.” Katara placed her hand on his shoulder.</p>
<p>“Ok, ok, sorry.” He gave in.</p>
<p>“Does your head hurt? What if you have a concussion?” Katara slowly took the ice pack from his hand, and examined his eye, the swelling was already going down a little bit.</p>
<p>“Trust me, I don’t. The shithead only got a few punches in.” Zuko assured.</p>
<p>Katara gave the ice pack back to him. He pressed it back onto his eye.</p>
<p>They were both quiet for a moment.</p>
<p>“Wait, you need to get home. God—Suki, Sokka, I didn’t even think about—“</p>
<p>“Hold your horses.” She pressed her hand to his shoulder again, gesturing him to lie back down.</p>
<p>“I can get a taxi or something.” Katara began to stand up.</p>
<p>Zuko took her wrist.</p>
<p>“Katara, there’s no taxis here. This isn’t the city.” Zuko groaned, and pressed the compress more forcefully onto his eye.</p>
<p>“I’ll walk.”</p>
<p>“It’s midnight.”</p>
<p>“Well—“</p>
<p>“Just stay here.”</p>
<p>Katara felt her heart pound.</p>
<p>“Here, as in, your place?”</p>
<p>“Yeah, the couch is pretty comfy, you can just crash there.” He looked in her direction, slowly being able to see more than just a silhouette.</p>
<p>Katara felt her heart race.</p>
<p>
  <em>Stay the night at Zuko’s? She’d never hear the end of it from Suki and Sokka.</em>
</p>
<p>“I don’t know…”</p>
<p>“Well, you can’t exactly take my car, and it’s way too late for you to walk all by yourself.”</p>
<p>She stayed quiet.</p>
<p>On top of all of that, she really was tired, exhausted. She wanted more than anything to just collapse and fall asleep.</p>
<p>“If it’s…ok with you.”</p>
<p>“Katara, it’s more than ok.” Zuko replied.</p>
<p>He sat up once more. Katara placed her hand on his shoulder again, but he resisted and stood up. He was starting to regain more of his vision.</p>
<p>He approached his dresser and took out a t-shirt and a pair of grey shorts.</p>
<p>“Here.” He said.</p>
<p>“I…I don’t know.”</p>
<p>“I know you’re tired, it’s your first day back. Probably exhausted from your flight, you had to deal with Jet's—and my—bullshit. Go get cozy and get some sleep.” Zuko stumbled slightly back to his bed.</p>
<p>“Zuko…”</p>
<p>“Katara, I’m fine. I’m pretty tired too,” he yawned, “we can figure everything out in the morning.”</p>
<p>She approached the side of his bed once more, where he looked over to her, still pressing the ice pack to his injured eye.</p>
<p>“Thank you.” It was almost a whisper.</p>
<p>He nodded, before his eyes slowly began to shut.</p>
<p>She exited his room, and went back to the bathroom where she had found the wash cloth earlier. She changed out of her clothes into Zuko’s oversized ones. She felt the most comfortable she had in so long.</p>
<p>His scent lingered on the t-shirt, she pressed it to her nose, smelling clean laundry detergent, his cologne, and just…him.</p>
<p>It was a concert t-shirt from a show that had The Cure as headliners, Katara was jealous, and she’d definitely ask him about the show in the morning.</p>
<p>She put on the grey shorts, and tied the draw string as tight as it would go. She folded her clothes neatly, and placed them on the back of the toilet.</p>
<p>Katara exited the bathroom, and collapsed on the couch. She stretched her legs out, and unfolded a blanket that rested at the foot of the sofa. She adjusted herself under it, before shutting her eyes.</p>
<p>She fell asleep with thoughts of Zuko overcoming her mind. She wondered why she ever let him go in the first place.</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>im interested...how are you guys liking the progression of the story? i loveee writing the time jump, do you guys like reading it? i think it's very telling of katara and zuko as characters!! thanks again for reading :') i hope you enjoyed this chapter!! &lt;33</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0021"><h2>21. Chapter 21</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>The next morning, Katara awoke to the aroma of jasmine. Her eyes slowly opened and she sat up on the couch. She examined her surroundings, and almost had a panic attack when the area was unfamiliar, but then she remembered the events of last night. She looked around, and saw Zuko’s apartment in the daylight. It was cozy, and bright. He had a TV accompanied by a stand lined with many, many, books, Next to it was a display case, with intricate designs carved in its wood. The case looked like an heirloom. There were glass panels that revealed the inside. Katara couldn’t quite tell what was on the inside from where she was sitting.</p><p>She glanced behind her where the living room area turned into the kitchen area, and that’s when she saw Zuko. He had his back turned, and it seemed he was brewing tea. Katara figured that’s where the jasmine scent was coming from.</p><p>The moment felt heavenly. Sitting in Zuko’s apartment, inhaling his scent along with the aromatic steam of the jasmine tea. She was in the coziest clothes in the world, under the biggest, warmest blanket. She never wanted to move.</p><p>“Morning.” She heard Zuko.</p><p>He walked over and took a seat next to her on the sofa. She noticed he must have taken a shower, his hair was slightly damp, his cheeks a little red, and he smelled strong of body soap.</p><p>Katara rubbed her eyes with her firsts, and stretched her arms in the air.</p><p>Zuko watched in awe.</p><p><em>Cute</em>, he thought.</p><p>He tried dismissing the thought but it was pointless. He couldn’t dismiss thoughts of Katara for the past ten years, this moment wasn’t any different.</p><p>“Good morning.” She smiled.</p><p>He held two mugs of tea in his hands.</p><p>Katara reached forward to his face. The swelling of his eye was significantly better.</p><p>“Looks like you can see alright again, huh?” Katara gently brushed her finger against the tender skin.</p><p>Zuko just nodded.</p><p>Before dropping her hand back down to her lap, she slid it up his cheek and onto his head, where she ran her hand through his damp hair playfully. He smiled before shimmying her hand away.</p><p>She chuckled, and then examined his eye once more, the area was still bruised, but his eye was nearly all the way open.</p><p>“Does it hurt?” Katara asked.</p><p>“Only a little.” He handed her the cup of tea.</p><p>She took it.</p><p>“Thanks for…letting me crash here.” She looked down to her mug, the drink was piping hot.</p><p>Zuko looked her up and down, he took note of how she fit in his clothes. He liked the image. A lot.</p><p>“Like I said, it was more than ok, truly not a problem.” He shook his head.</p><p>Katara rested her back against the plushy cushion behind her. She felt like the couch could swallow her whole. It was so soft, and so easy to sink into.</p><p>“How did you get the comfiest couch, comfiest blanket, and most beautiful display case in the world?” Katara turned her head toward him.</p><p>Zuko snickered.</p><p>“I’m serious!” Katara retorted, amused.</p><p>“Blanket, department store. Couch, department store. Display case…my mom.” Zuko took a sip of his tea before setting the mug onto a coaster on the coffee table in front of them.</p><p>“Your mom?” Katara sat up excitedly.</p><p>She looked over at the display case once more.</p><p>“Yeah…I found her a couple years after graduating college, she’s in a suburb of the city. We’re in touch now, and she gave me the display case when I moved in. It’s a family heirloom, from her side.” Zuko smiled softly at the memory.</p><p><em>If only she could meet you</em>, he thought.</p><p>That’s when he drew the line. That thought had to be dismissed.</p><p>His smile faded.</p><p>“Hey, Zuko, that’s amazing. I’m so happy you have a relationship with her again.” Katara’s tone was warm.</p><p>She wanted to reach for his hand, but she resisted. She wasn’t sure what to make of this situation. She loved and cared for Zuko, obviously, but she wasn’t sure how exactly to act on it, plus she wasn’t sure how he felt.</p><p>“So what’s inside?” Katara distracted herself from her thoughts.</p><p>She stood up, and placed her mug on a coaster next to Zuko’s.</p><p>She looked at the case up and down, taking in all the intricate carvings and details. There was a dragon at the very top, that wrapped itself around the glass paneled cabinets.</p><p>Zuko took a stand next to her. He opened the first cabinet.</p><p>“So this…” He trailed off.</p><p>Katara saw him reach for a book that was sitting on a stand within the case.</p><p>“It’s a first edition copy of The Catcher and the Rye.” He cradled the book gently.</p><p>“You’re fucking joking.” Katara was in awe.</p><p>He gestured it for her to hold.</p><p>“You’re gonna let me hold it?” Katara’s eyes grew wide.</p><p>“I trust you to be careful.” Zuko laughed lightly at Katara’s reaction.</p><p>She took the book, her fingers gently held the spine. The binding was so fragile, she didn’t even want to open it. It was a scarlet red cover, with gold letters that spelt the title and the author’s name.</p><p>“Zuko, how did you get this? It’s so cool!” She beamed.</p><p>She slowly handed the book back to him.</p><p>“Took a lot of searching.” He replied.</p><p>He opened the case and placed the book back onto its stand.</p><p>“You need to come to the city sometime. There’s this amazing used bookstore, and it’s connected to a coffee and tea shop. The bookstore is so deep, you could browse for hours. There’s so many hidden gems, Zuko you have to.” Her eyes blinked slowly as she stared at him, waiting for his response.</p><p>He shut the cabinet, and he looked at Katara, but looked away shortly after.</p><p>“You can’t do that, Katara.” He shook his head.</p><p>Katara’s happiness fell into concern.</p><p>“Do what?”</p><p>“Do that.” He scoffed.</p><p>He turned away from her and walked back toward the couch.</p><p>“Act like you wanna see me again, act like…you won’t leave me again, damn it, Katara, act like you care about me—“</p><p>“That’s not fair.”</p><p>They stared at each other for a moment, frowns present on both of their faces.</p><p>“You know why I it broke off all those years ago. Damn it, Zuko, we were kids. I was hurting, and so were you, it would have been a raging dumpster fire if we pursued a relationship. You wanted something I couldn’t give you. Deep down you know that, these past ten years we’ve grown, ok? It was a good decision as much as I hated it.” Katara’s heart raced.</p><p>“Yeah, I was hurting, but the day you walked out my door only hurt me more. You know how painful these past ten years were? We were only kids then, exactly, and that’s why I wondered for years after you left why I wasn’t good enough, and what I could have done that would have made you love me enough to stay.” Zuko felt like crying, and he hadn’t cried in awhile.</p><p>He wasn’t going to let himself do that.</p><p>“Zuko…I-I loved you too much to stay.” Katara’s voice was small, and low.</p><p>“Why didn’t you come?” He finally asked it.</p><p>“Come?” She was confused.</p><p>“The letter.”</p><p><em>Fuck,</em> Katara thought.</p><p>She felt like crying, and she let herself do so. The tears were brimming, and her chest quivered.</p><p>“I…I didn’t read it.” She choked the words out.</p><p>Zuko’s eyes widened. He just stood there for a minute, saying absolutely nothing.</p><p>“Say something.” Katara’s voice wavered.</p><p>It was like Zuko’s brain short circuited. He stood there, frozen.</p><p>“I didn’t read it because I knew if I did, I would have stayed, and I couldn’t Zuko, I couldn’t. You know I couldn’t.”</p><p>Still nothing.</p><p>She grabbed her purse on the coffee table next to her. She dug around in it for her wallet. Once she found it, she unfolded it, and slipped the old envelope out from one of its pockets.</p><p>“It’s right here.” Katara held it in her hand, and examined Zuko’s messy handwriting.</p><p>Zuko stared at her, his eyes still large. He took a step closer to her.</p><p>She slowly gestured the letter to him.</p><p>He took it from her, he flipped it over to see if the envelope was still sealed. It was wrinkled terribly, but the seal had never been opened.</p><p>“Read it.” He finally spoke.</p><p>Katara looked up to him, he gazed at her and placed the letter back into her hands.</p><p>“I…I can’t.” Her heart buzzed in her chest, and her cheeks felt warm.</p><p>“Read it.” He repeated.</p><p>Katara looked him deep in the eyes before flipping the letter over. She opened it.</p><p>She unfolded the parchment gently.</p><p>Zuko hovered above her.</p><p>She read it aloud.</p><p>“<em>Katara,</em></p><p><em> I know you don’t wanna see me, or hear from me for that matter. But I needed to write this, to tell you, that I think this is a mistake. You know it, but I love you. And, I can’t stand the thought of you out of my life completely. I know things are hard, I know you’re hurting, and I wish I could make it go away, I wish more than anything that you could be irrevocably happy. I know that you think you’re no good for me, but quite frankly, you’re the best thing that’s ever happened to me. And I mean that. I want you to know that I would never leave you…maybe we will go to different colleges, but I’ll come visit you, I’ll make sure you know I’m here to stay…because I am.</em>”</p><p>She stopped, and wiped a couple tears she’d shed.</p><p>“Keep going.” He spoke in a hushed tone.</p><p>“Zuko…” She felt horrible.</p><p>“Please.” They were only inches apart.</p><p>“<em>I don’t want you to leave, Katara. I don’t want this to end. I can’t stop thinking about you. We can work though this, it will be worth it.</em></p><p>
  <em> I’m going to ask you one more thing. I know you might be done with me, I don’t want to hold you back, I don’t want to make you sad…but, if you love me like this, too—if you feel any of the same feelings I feel…you know deep down that this isn’t right. Next Friday night, I’ll be at the lake, watching the ducks. If you feel the same, meet me there, and we can work through this. If you don’t come, I understand, and you’ll never hear from me again. I promise.</em>
</p><p><em> - Zuko.</em>”</p><p>Katara finished, and she dropped the letter down onto the coffee table.</p><p>“I didn’t know.” Katara shook her head.</p><p>She didn’t know what to say. She couldn’t decipher if her decision to never read it was the right or wrong one. As much as Katara shouldn’t have, she knew she would have gone to the lake. She would have gone to the lake, kissed him, held him close, and told him she was sorry for everything. But she couldn’t have done that, her abandonment issues all those years ago were too prevalent, too painful to ever just look past. In a perfect world, she would have read the letter, dropped everything and told Zuko he was ‘it’, but her head was never clear—it was full of fear that she was a burden to Zuko, fear that he’d leave like everyone else, fear that she was bad for him…like she assumed she was bad for others.</p><p>Zuko just stared at her. He was completely dumbfounded at the fact she never had read it. They both just looked at each other, Katara’s eyes were red and puffy from her tears.</p><p>Suddenly, she wrapped her arms around him.</p><p>“Did you feel the same?” Zuko’s breath tickled the back of her neck as he held her.</p><p>“Yes.” She whispered.</p><p>She held him close.</p><p>“Why didn’t you read it? Why didn’t you come? Why’d you leave me?” They broke the embrace.</p><p>The look on his face broke Katara’s heart to see. She wanted it all to stop.</p><p>“I was scared.” She finally said it.</p><p>Zuko’s heart raced, <em>she admitted it</em>.</p><p>“I was scared you’d leave me, scared I was a burden to you, scared that you’d stop loving me, scared that I’d fuck up.” Her voice was slightly raised.</p><p>“So <em>you</em> left<em> me</em> instead?”</p><p>“I thought what I was doing was good for you. Good for both of us.” She was no longer crying, her eyes were wide, and her heartbeat hummed…she was finally saying things she’d suppressed for the past ten years.</p><p>“Well, it wasn’t good for me. I never stopped thinking about you, not once. I heard a fucking song on the radio, and I thought of you. Drove by that run down damned barn on the highway and thought of you, you were always in the back of my mind and I wondered for so long why you never came that night. I waited out there all night.” His voice broke.</p><p>“Zuko, I didn’t know, I didn’t read it, I thought I was doing what’s best for you—“</p><p>“No, you were doing what was best for you, not for me—“</p><p>“You think these past ten years were easy for me? I never stopped thinking about you either! There were nights where I cried in Suki’s arms praying that it was worth it, praying you were better off. I’d listen to your mixtape you made me every fucking day, every single one. When I moved to the city, I thought about how much you’d love it, how much I wished you were there with me. I saw you every time I smelled cigarette smoke, every time a fucking Buick passed me down the street. Just seeing my tube of eyeliner in my makeup bag made me think of you. Hell, do you really think my life was any better without you in it?” Katara was yelling now.</p><p>“Then why’d you push me away?”</p><p>“I told you why! I was scared!”</p><p>“So was I!”</p><p>“You were braver and stronger than I was, Zuko. You know that.”</p><p>“Well, I guess not, because…now I’m even more scared.”</p><p>“Why?!”</p><p>“Because I never stopped loving you!”</p><p>“Well, neither did I!”</p><p>Their words echoed in his apartment. Katara stood stiff, so did Zuko. Until, he realized what they had just exchanged. He stared at her, and she looked back—their hearts were beating at the same quick pace.</p><p>Neither of them could bear it any longer, just as Katara stepped forward with intentions to kiss him, Zuko crashed his lips against hers. Katara’s back collided with the display case, it shook, and a little potted plant that sat on the top of it fell and shattered next to them, but neither of them noticed. Zuko’s hands cradled Katara’s head, while her fingers gripped tightly onto his shirt.</p><p>Neither of them had ever had a kiss like that one.</p><p>Ten years of suppressed love and affection marinated that kiss, and it was the most passionate moment either of them had ever experienced in their entire lives.</p><p>Neither of them wanted it to end.</p><p>Katara pulled him closer, his hand slowly went from the back of her head and began to caress her neck.</p><p>She wrapped her arms around his neck and stood on her tip toes. His lips were soft against hers, and she recalled his taste from all those years ago—subtle cigarette smoke and peppermint.</p><p>Things escalated, and Katara began to tug at the hem of his shirt, but then, suddenly, there was a knock at the door.</p><p>They both pulled away from the kiss.</p><p>“Fuck. Shit.” Zuko said under his breath.</p><p>“What? Who is it?” Katara’s heart was beating a million miles an hour—from their kiss, and from the anticipation of who could possibly be behind the door.</p><p>“It’s Suki and Sokka.” Zuko stepped away from Katara and began walking toward the door.</p><p>“What?” Katara rose her eyebrows.</p><p>“I called them early this morning, said you were alright, and that I was too, and I told them you were here. Then I…I invited them over.” Zuko explained.</p><p>“You invited them over?!” Katara whispered, in fear they could hear through the door.</p><p>“I thought you’d want that?!” Zuko put his hand on the door knob.</p><p>He swung the door open.</p><p>“I brought pancakes!” Sokka beamed, holding a container in front of him.</p><p>Katara smiled, the last ten minutes were some of the craziest of her life.</p><p>Zuko and Katara stood together at the doorway, Zuko’s hair was spiked up, from Katara’s fingers just a few moments ago. Each of their lips were bright red, and Katara’s hair was tangled to a maximum.</p><p>“Does Zuko not own a hair brush?” Suki chuckled.</p><p>“Yeah, major bed head, you two.” Sokka agreed, he pushed past them and entered the apartment.</p><p><em>Fuck</em>, they both thought at the same time.</p><p>They looked at each other, and noticed their hair, they both started patting each other down, trying to look neater.</p><p>“Don’t remember you wearing<em> that</em> last night either, Katara.” Suki cocked an eyebrow as she plopped down on the sofa.</p><p>“Zuko let me borrow something to sleep in.” Katara spoke quickly.</p><p>“Ok, ok. I see.” Her tone was obviously suggestive.</p><p>“Suki.” Katara knew she’d never hear the end of this.</p><p>Sokka was exploring the interior of the apartment.</p><p>“I love the place, Zuko. Very, very modern day. But uh, what’s up with this plant?” Sokka cradled the box of pancakes in his hand and pointed to the dirt and shattered ceramic pot that was sprawled across the floor.</p><p>Zuko and Katara shot glances at each other. It was obvious to Suki and Sokka that something was up.</p><p>“I, uh, didn’t even notice that, must have fallen, thanks Sokka.” Zuko scurried off into the kitchen area and grabbed a broom.</p><p>He swept up the mess into the dust pan, and Katara sat on the couch next to Suki.</p><p>Suki just smirked at her.</p><p>Katara nudged her and rolled her eyes.</p><p>“Where’s your skillet, Zuko? I wanna heat up these sea prune pancakes properly! Also, throw on some more tea, Suki and I want some of Iroh’s best.” Sokka was digging through Zuko’s kitchen unapologetically.</p><p>“I’ll be there in a minute.”</p><p>Katara observed Zuko as he finished sweeping up the mess. His hair was still a little messy, and his t-shirt clung to his broad shoulders a bit crooked. All she could think about was kissing him again, and how he never stopped loving her, and how she never stopped loving him.</p><p>“What’s this?” Suki reached for the letter on the coffee table, aside the forgotten mugs of tea.</p><p>“Nothing.” Katara snatched it away.</p><p>Zuko glanced over before heading to the kitchen area.</p><p>“Katara…” Suki beamed, and stared at the torn open envelope and letter in Katara’s hand.</p><p>“I said it was nothing.” Katara shoved it into her purse.</p><p>“Seems like something if you have to hide it from me.” Suki’s smile never left her face.</p><p>“I’m going to change back into my other clothes.” Katara stood up, taking her purse to the bathroom with her.</p><p>As she closed the door behind her, Zuko and Sokka were busy in the kitchen.</p><p>“See, the pancakes are already cooked, but I just wanted to heat them up on the skillet.” Sokka spoke, but Zuko was mindlessly preparing two more mugs of tea.</p><p>His thoughts wandered to Katara, and their conversation…and their kiss. He’d never had a kiss like that before, he wondered what would have happened if they hadn’t been interrupted. He wondered what would happen now since they both admitted their feelings for each other. He felt a weight lifted off his shoulders knowing Katara hadn’t read that letter all those years ago. It made the pain of the last ten years ease up, knowing she didn’t even know about her invitation to the lake that night. He wondered if Katara would be his girlfriend now, if—</p><p>“Zuko? Zuko? Earth to Zuko? How do you suppose I do this? I think I made the skillet too hot.” Sokka was standing at the stove, stiff as a board, staring at the smoking pan.</p><p>“Man, turn the gas down, don’t have it on high.” Zuko pushed passed him a bit, and turned the gas to low.</p><p>“Sorry, I don’t know your kitchen.” Sokka chuckled.</p><p>Zuko smiled and shook his head.</p><p>“Wait till it gets a littler cooler, and then use the warmth of the pan to just kinda crisp them up.” Zuko instructed.</p><p>“Yes, Chef Zuko.” Sokka replied, before opening the container of pancakes.</p><p>Zuko smiled once more, before returning to the task of brewing tea.</p><p>Katara exited the bathroom, and stood next to Zuko with his clothes folded neatly in her hands.</p><p>“Where should I put these?” She inquired.</p><p>Zuko glanced over at her, and he felt himself blush from just looking at her.</p><p>“Uh…” He stammered.</p><p>Katara noticed his cheeks turned pink, and felt hers doing the same thing.</p><p>“You can just set them on my bed.” Zuko nodded, before looking away back to the tea.</p><p>“Ok.” Katara turned the other way and went toward his bedroom.</p><p>She entered his room, and plopped the shorts and t-shirt down on the foot of his bed. She examined the his room. Katara noticed many of his decorations and little trinkets were the same as the ones in his little house all those years ago. She examined the top of his dresser, where she saw a mixtape. She picked it up, and it was labeled, ‘Katara’. She rose her eyebrows.</p><p>“Hey, the-uh-food’s ready.” Zuko peeked his head into the bedroom.</p><p>He noticed Katara was looking at something on his dresser, he took a few steps over so he was next to her.</p><p>“Snooping in my room, huh?” Zuko scoffed.</p><p>“No I wasn’t.” She placed the mixtape back on top of his dresser.</p><p>“I just saw you—“</p><p>“Ok, maybe I was. I just—“</p><p>“It’s ok.” He snickered.</p><p>She looked over at him, he glanced at her before reaching beside her for the cassette she’d just put back.</p><p>“I, uh, made a copy of the tape I made you, all those years ago, so I’d have one too. It’s got some good songs on it.” He flipped the cassette around in his hands.</p><p>Katara half smiled, Zuko’s eyes were focused on the cassette in his hands, until he slowly brought his gaze up to her.</p><p>“It does have some good songs.” She agreed, and spoke it quietly.</p><p>A moment of silence.</p><p>“I noticed you have a lot of your old stuff, from your guest house, in here.” Katara broke their eye contact, and took a step away from him.</p><p>She took a long look around his room again.</p><p>“Yeah.” He said.</p><p>He wasn’t sure what to say to her after what transpired in the living room not even an hour ago, and Katara had no idea what to say either.</p><p>But they both wanted to kiss again.</p><p>And they both wanted to know what was going to happen next. Because, one thing was for sure, and that was, neither of them could stand another day, let alone ten years, without the other.</p><p>“Well, we should, probably go join Sokka and Suki.” Katara gestured her thumb outwards to the door.</p><p>Zuko nodded, and followed behind her as she left the bedroom.</p><p>They accompanied Sokka and Suki at the kitchen table, where they drank their tea and ate their sea prune pancakes. Sokka cut his up into pieces and tried throwing them in the air and catching them in his mouth, which Suki found amusing, but Katara and Zuko glanced at each other, knowing Sokka was getting the stink eye from both of them.</p><p>They talked about their lives, their jobs, and then…Sokka brought something else up.</p><p>“So, Zuko, you, uh, really beat she shit out of Jet, huh? Again.”</p><p>Zuko took a sip from his tea, “Again.”</p><p>“Shit! Zuko you should be icing your eye.” Katara stood up from the table.</p><p>“Katara, I’m fine.” Zuko assured, but Katara was already digging around in his freezer for the ice pack.</p><p>She wrapped it in a towel before handing it to Zuko.</p><p>“I don’t need this—“</p><p>“Take it. You can see now, but you don’t want the swelling to come back.” Katara furrowed her brow.</p><p>Zuko took the pack from her and rested it on his eye.</p><p>“So you really couldn’t see last night? Like…nothing at all?” Suki’s hands were wrapped tightly around her tea mug.</p><p>“Yeah, not really. I don’t know what I would have done if Katara wasn’t there.”</p><p>“You shouldn’t have gotten in that stupid fight in the first place.” Katara sat back down on her chair.</p><p>“I wasn’t gonna let him get away with that.” Zuko spoke sharply, “I’d do it again.”</p><p>“Yeah, if Zuko hadn’t done something, I would have. That Jet guy has always been such an asshole, and no one talks about my little sis like that. If Zuko hadn’t beaten me to it, that fucker’s ass would have been grass.” Sokka got up, taking his empty plate to the sink.</p><p>“I would have loved to help.” Suki stirred her tea.</p><p>“You guys are insane.” Katara scoffed.</p><p>“Insanely in love with you, yes.” Suki rested her head on Katara’s shoulder.</p><p>“HEY! Count me out of that statement…but yeah, you and Zuko definitely qualify for that.” Sokka began washing his plate at the sink.</p><p>Zuko and Katara shot glances at each other after Sokka’s comment. They both looked away from each other as quick as they had glanced.</p><p>After clearing the rest of the dishes, and helping Zuko clean up his kitchen area, Suki and Sokka offered to take Katara home, where she could shower and get situated into her own, fresh clothes. She definitely took the opportunity.</p><p>Suki and Sokka were the first to leave the apartment, and Katara lingered behind at the doorway to speak with Zuko.</p><p>“What do you say? Alley spot? Maybe….4pm?” Zuko leaned against the door frame, still holding the ice pack to his eye that Katara had given him.</p><p>“I think that sounds like a plan.” Katara nodded.</p><p>“Perfect.”</p><p>“Don’t forget your Walkman.” Katara chuckled.</p><p>“I would never.” He assured her.</p><p>Katara looked away from him, and monitored the hallway of his apartment floor. Once she was sure Suki and Sokka were out of sight, she turned back to Zuko.</p><p>She stood on her toes and suddenly gave him a kiss on the lips.</p><p>Not knowing what to do with his hands, he dropped the ice pack to the ground, and used both of his hands to pull Katara closer. She snickered before pulling away.</p><p>She bent down to the ground, and picked up the pack.</p><p>“You, uh, dropped this.” She said, placing it in his palm.</p><p>“Thanks.” He was sarcastic, and shook his head at her.</p><p>“Kinda like how you broke the plant earlier.”</p><p>“Hey, that was a collective mishap.” He blushed.</p><p>“Whatever.” She ran a hand through her hair.</p><p>“Well…I’ll uh…see you at 4:00 then.” Zuko couldn’t wait the few hours, he knew it would feel like centuries until then.</p><p>“I guess you will.” She nodded.</p><p>Katara placed her hand on his cheek, and caressed the little strands of hair that framed his face with her thumb. They looked at each other for a long moment.</p><p>“They’re waiting for you, you better go.” Zuko wrapped his hand around Katara’s wrist and returned her arm to her side.</p><p>“Yeah, you’re right, sorry.”</p><p>Another glance at each other.</p><p>“Bye.” He said.</p><p>She nodded her head, before giving him a small wave. She turned the opposite direction and disappeared down the hall. Once she was gone completely, Zuko closed his front door.</p><p>He buried his head into his hands, unable to fully process what had happened. His mind went through their conversation over and over.</p><p>
  <em>“Because I never stopped loving you!”</em>
</p><p>
  <em> “Well, neither did I!”</em>
</p><p>He couldn’t stop thinking about their kiss, and how Katara felt the same all these years. He couldn’t believe it. He couldn’t believe she was here, and that her heart longed for him in the same way his did for her.</p><p>As Katara buckled herself into the backseat of Sokka’s car, Suki turned around toward her from the passenger seat.</p><p>“Something definitely happened. Spill. Now.” Suki’s eyes were wide with anticipation.</p><p>“Suki…nothing really happened I—“</p><p>“Katara, you and Zuko are the worst liars on the planet.” Sokka turned out of the parking lot.</p><p>“What do you mean? We didn’t lie about—“</p><p>“What was the letter? Why the hell was that plant broken on the floor?” Suki was nearly jumping out of the passenger’s side to the back seat.</p><p>Katara felt her whole face turn red, she didn’t know what to say. Even if genuinely nothing had happened, she still would have had this interrogation.</p><p>“Did you guys…you know…” Suki rose her eyebrows.</p><p>“God, Suki, no! No!” Katara exclaimed.</p><p>“I mean, it wouldn’t have been bad if you did, hell, you guys were in love with each other all those years ago.” Suki frowned at Katara’s reaction.</p><p>“Better stop, Suki. She sounds like she’s gonna explode.” Sokka laughed, his eyes glued to the road ahead.</p><p>“Man, fuck both of you guys. Nothing happened.” Katara crossed her arms and stared out the window.</p><p>“Ok, maybe you guys didn’t, you know…but something definitely happened, just tell us!” Suki couldn’t bear it any longer.</p><p>Katara knew Suki wouldn’t stop bugging her until she told her what happened, even a fraction of what happened would get her by for now, so, Katara caved.</p><p>“We told each other we never stopped loving each other.” Katara stared out the window as she said it.</p><p>“You what?!” Suki’s reaction was everything Katara expected it to be.</p><p>“He said that he never stopped loving me, and I said I didn’t either.” Katara spoke it matter-of-fact, like she still couldn’t believe it either.</p><p>“So are you guys going to finally be together now? I already knew you guys would never stop loving each other! I know it’s been ten years but can you just seal the deal already? The slow burn, it hurts me.” Suki turned to Sokka.</p><p>“Yeah honestly Katara, Zuko’s literally the best. No offense but all the other guys of yours I’ve met suck ass. Like that guy I met in your apartment when I visited you in the city that one time—“</p><p>“Ok, ok, no need to go bashing my past relationship choices.” Katara rolled her eyes.</p><p>“So?” Suki continued to pry.</p><p>“What?” Katara tried to hold back her smile.</p><p>“What’s next?” Suki gazed at Katara, with all the love in the world.</p><p>“I don’t know…but…one thing’s for sure.”</p><p>“And…what’s that?”</p><p>Finally, Katara smiled, without holding it back,</p><p>“I love Zuko, and I…don’t wanna lose him again.”</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0022"><h2>22. Chapter 22</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Katara arrived at the alley spot around 4:00. Once she turned the corner to the back of the school building, she saw Zuko right away. He had beaten her to the spot—like he always had all those years ago—and was smoking a cigarette. Katara’s heart was beating quickly, it was hard for her think about the fact that Zuko knew how she felt about him, and that he felt the same. On top of the stress of declared feelings, simply seeing Zuko in the alley spot sent her back through time, and she felt like she was eighteen again.</p>
<p>“Hey.” Katara took a seat on the concrete next to Zuko.</p>
<p>“Hi.” He greeted.</p>
<p>He stared at her for a moment. He wondered how someone’s eyes could be so blue, and how someone who hadn’t been in his life for a decade could still make him feel as though he was the only person on the planet—with just a mere glance.</p>
<p>But he couldn’t help but feel worrisome, that this situation was too good to be true. As much as he loved Katara, she had broken his heart…and as much as he adored her presence here now, his feelings were still so conflicting. He wished he knew if she was here to stay. The simple thought of her leaving again—which was inevitable—made his heart sink back into the place it had for the past years. Only this morning after some shouting and a passionate kiss was it able to finally resurface itself.</p>
<p>He looked away from her, and took a drag of his cigarette.</p>
<p>“How’s your eye?” Katara examined it.</p>
<p>“The same it was this morning.” Zuko chuckled as he looked back to her.</p>
<p>There was a few small purple splotches that indicated bruising, but it was definitely healing. Katara was relieved.</p>
<p>“So…Suki and Sokka were suspicious.” Katara shook her head.</p>
<p>“Of course they were.” Zuko flicked ash away from his cigarette.</p>
<p>“Suki interrogated me like her life depended on it. It was so elementary.” Katara rolled her eyes.</p>
<p>She acted annoyed, but she was amused by the whole situation. She liked the attention, especially since it had to do with Zuko.</p>
<p>“Well…what did you tell her?” He turned his head toward her.</p>
<p>“I didn’t tell her everything…I just…I told her we both admitted our feelings for each other.” Katara leaned a little closer to Zuko.</p>
<p>“Mmm.” Zuko hummed, and then put the last of his cigarette out on the concrete.</p>
<p>After doing so, he looked back over to Katara who was only a few inches away from his face. He slowly leaned closer, and so did she…until their lips met.</p>
<p>Zuko cupped either of her cheeks with his palms. The kiss was soft, and they both treated each other delicately. Zuko pulled away, placed a kiss on her cheek, and then his lips lingered on her skin—leaving a trail of kisses down her neck.</p>
<p>She wrapped her arms around him.</p>
<p>“Come to the city with me.” She blurted out the phrase, softly into his ear.</p>
<p>Zuko placed one last kiss on her shoulder.</p>
<p>He returned to sitting upright.</p>
<p>He felt his stomach turn at her statement.</p>
<p>“What?”</p>
<p>She pressed her hand to his cheek, and ran her fingertips through the hair by his face.</p>
<p>“Come back with me. You can live in my apartment with me. Come to the city.” Her heart was racing, and she felt her face becoming warm as she anticipated his answer.</p>
<p>He gently pushed her hand away.</p>
<p>He just stared at her.</p>
<p>“Stay here with me. You can stay at my apartment. We can—“</p>
<p>“I can’t…my job is in the city. I can’t give it up.” Katara didn’t let him finish.</p>
<p>“My job’s here. My music store is here. I can’t leave Iroh.” Zuko played with his fingers.</p>
<p>“Well…then what are we even doing? Zuko, this is crazy.” Katara scoffed, before looking down to the ground.</p>
<p>“What do you mean?”</p>
<p>“I mean…I love you and I don’t want to lose you again but even now it feels like senior year is just repeating itself, and I’m leaving and you’re leaving and like none of this even matters.” Katara stood up, and crossed her arms across her chest.</p>
<p>“I…I…don’t know what you want me to say.” Was the only thing Zuko was able to muster up.</p>
<p>There was a moment where neither of them said anything.</p>
<p>“But…Katara…it does matter.” He turned toward her and reached for her hand.</p>
<p>Katara’s stomach hurt, it was at the idea that she’d soon be leaving Zuko again and that there wasn’t really anything that could be done about it.</p>
<p>“Come to the city. You can open a new music store, hell, start a band, I know you’ve always wanted to do that. Maybe become a music producer, there's so may opportunities there...come on, <em>we</em> can—“</p>
<p>“Katara, I can’t.” He shook his head.</p>
<p>She knew it was selfish. Zuko had Iroh here, he had a life he’d pieced together and worked so hard to create here, but Katara had that in the city, she just wished Zuko could be there with her.</p>
<p>“It’s crazy, anyway.” Katara scoffed and turned away from him.</p>
<p>“What?”</p>
<p>“I’ve just seen you for the first time in ten years and I’m inviting you to drop everything and come live with me. It’s nuts.”</p>
<p>“I don’t think so.” Zuko retorted.</p>
<p>She looked to him once more, he had a crease in the middle of his forehead. He moved closer to her.</p>
<p>“I’d do it if I could. You know I would.” He reached for her cheek, and caressed the soft skin under her eye with his thumb.</p>
<p>Katara stared into his eyes, and she suddenly felt the weight of the world on her shoulders. This was all her fault, all of those years ago she was so scared she’d fuck up, and it turns out what she thought would fix everything, just made it even messier.</p>
<p>It was her fault they weren’t together now. All of this was her fault…at least, that’s what she told herself.</p>
<p>“I’m sorry.” She wrapped both of her hands around the wrist of his raised arm.</p>
<p>“What?” He was concerned.</p>
<p>“This is all my fault, I thought I was doing what was best back then, but it turns out, I just fucked up again, as expected. Things could have been different, <em>we</em> could have been different, this situation could have been better…I just…I…”</p>
<p>“Katara, stop.” He shook his head.</p>
<p>“It’s true.” She turned the other way, she couldn’t bear to look at him.</p>
<p>Zuko took a step closer to her.</p>
<p>“I know you had our best intentions in mind.” His voice was low, and he wanted to reach for her and hold her. Katara’s back was still turned.</p>
<p>“I…” She trailed off.</p>
<p>“You were right.” He didn’t let her finish, “It would have been a mess if we were together then, there’s no denying it. But…now…” Zuko took a few steps around her, so he was standing in front of her.</p>
<p>She looked up to him, her blue eyes sparkled.</p>
<p>“Now, we just…gotta make the most of the time that we do have together.” Zuko tucked a strand of hair behind her ear.</p>
<p>She bit her bottom lip.</p>
<p>“We got a lot of time to make up for, Piece of Work…ten years worth. Who says we can’t make up for it all in just a few days?” He continued.</p>
<p>Katara gazed into his golden eyes, lost in thought.</p>
<p>“You gotta stop that.” Katara rolled her eyes.</p>
<p>She looked away.</p>
<p>“What?” Zuko cocked an eyebrow, amused.</p>
<p>“Acting perfect.” She shoved his shoulder back slightly.</p>
<p>He chuckled, “What do you mean?”</p>
<p>“It’s gonna make it harder for me to leave you when you just—“</p>
<p>“So you want me to stop talking completely while you’re here? Because that’s all I did just then.” Zuko crossed his arms across his chest.</p>
<p>“No, Zuko, you know what I mean.” Katara inched closer to him.</p>
<p>“I could always…” Zuko placed his lips on hers.</p>
<p>His hand found her lower back and pulled her in closer.</p>
<p>He pulled away, “…do that instead of talking.”</p>
<p>Katara blushed.</p>
<p>“Actually now that I’m thinking about it, maybe talking isn’t so bad, because if you keep doing that, I don’t know if I’m ever going to be able to leave.”</p>
<p>“Well, then my mission would be accomplished.” He kissed her forehead before resting his cheek on the top of her head.</p>
<p>Katara felt a warm, homey sensation.</p>
<p>“Alright, alright.” She pushed him away playfully.</p>
<p>She was trying not to be <em>too</em> cozy with him, knowing that this whole thing between them could potentially end in a matter of days. But she loved him, and she did want to spend as much time with him as she could…even if after she left she wouldn’t see him again for another decade. It didn’t matter. He was here, and so was she, and both of them wanted more than anything to hold the other and to act like their time together was infinite as opposed to ephemeral.</p>
<p>Katara stuck her hand into Zuko’s pocket, and took out the Walkman that had been previously sticking out.</p>
<p>“Time to make up for ten years.” Katara dangled the Walkman from her fingertips.</p>
<p>“You’re really just acting like that thing is yours now, huh?” Zuko scoffed, before sitting back down on the cool concrete.</p>
<p>“I mean, it does have my name on it.” Katara sat next to him.</p>
<p>She placed one headphone up to her ear, and gestured the other to him. Once to play button clicked, the familiar intro of a particular Psychedelic Furs song began to play.</p>
<hr/>
<p>“You don't seriously think I’m swimming in that…” Katara crossed her arms.</p>
<p>It was another day of ‘making up for lost time’, Katara stood at the edge of duck lake, the cool breeze tickled her cheeks. They were by the far end, where the water was deeper, and a long rope hung down attached to a sturdy tree branch that overlooked the lake.</p>
<p>“Come on, Piece of Work.” Zuko began unbuttoning his shirt.</p>
<p>“There’s no way…it’s gonna be freezing.” Katara shivered at the thought of being in the water.</p>
<p>Zuko tossed his shirt on the ground, and began to take off his pants.</p>
<p>“Zuko…” Katara examined him without his shirt on and was slightly taken aback by the sight, but wasn’t obliged to it by any means.</p>
<p>Once he was down to his underwear, he took the long rope into his hand.</p>
<p>“You’re crazy.” The last thing Katara wanted was to swim in the potentially ice cold water.</p>
<p>“My mom used to take me and Azula here all the time, it’s not unbearably cold this time of year…now come on, Katara…ten years worth of time…” Zuko leaned down closer to her and cocked an eyebrow.</p>
<p>Before she could respond, he ran forward, his hands clasped around the rope, until he let go, and splashed into the water. A few drops of water hit Katara at the ankles.</p>
<p>She laughed, as his head popped above the body of water. His hair stuck to his forehead, and water dripped from his jawline.</p>
<p>“Continually living up to the Piece of Work name all these years later, huh? Seems about right...hell, just come in Katara.” He scoffed.</p>
<p>“Ok, ok, fine.” She shook her head.</p>
<p>She stripped down to her undergarments, before standing aside the rope.</p>
<p>Zuko admired how the light of the setting sun hit her brown skin, he couldn’t take his eyes off her.</p>
<p>“So you just, swing on the rope and…uh…jump.” All Katara could think of was the temperature of the water, she wanted to dip a toe in to see how cold it was. As she continued to contemplate the situation, Zuko suddenly wrapped his hand around one of her ankles, and pulled her down into the lake.</p>
<p>She tumbled down, with a large splash. She was right; the water was cold, but nowhere near how awful she thought it would be. Katara had a new mission now: get back at Zuko for pulling her in.</p>
<p>Once her head was above water, she splashed him so hard, it was as if she demanded the water around her to attack him, and it listened.</p>
<p>“You pain in the ass, Zuko!” She continued to splash, and all he did was laugh.</p>
<p>She got closer to him, and dunked his head under the water.</p>
<p>He rose back above the water, panting.</p>
<p>“Ok, ok, I surrender.” He ran a hand through his hair.</p>
<p>“You’re the worst.” Katara shook her head, but she couldn’t hold back her smile.</p>
<p>“I am?” Zuko swam closer to her, and snaked his arms around her waist under the water.</p>
<p>She chuckled as he pulled her close.</p>
<p>Once met with his skin, Katara felt how warm it was as opposed to hers.</p>
<p>“How are you so warm?” She wrapped one arm around his back.</p>
<p>“Naturally warm, always have been.”</p>
<p>Katara’s glance met his, their eyes became interlocked in a stare.</p>
<p>“You know, that’s really interesting…” Katara trailed off, her eyes never leaving his.</p>
<p>Then, suddenly, knowing he was distracted, Katara plunged him by the shoulders down deep into the water.</p>
<p>She couldn’t help but laugh. When Zuko was back to the surface, he had to spit water out from his mouth, and wriggled his head—he believed he’d gotten some in his ears.</p>
<p>Katara just continued to laugh.</p>
<p>“What’s so funny?” Zuko smiled, and then splashed her.</p>
<p>She gasped playfully.</p>
<p>“You do not want to get in a splash war with me, Zuko, you must know better.” She splashed back.</p>
<p>The two splashed back and forth at each other, Katara’s were always bigger and more effective at hitting Zuko in the face but he didn’t give up…until a few splashes later. He suddenly immersed himself under the water, and Katara hadn’t seen where he’d gone.</p>
<p>“Shit.” She snickered.</p>
<p>Then, out of nowhere, he emerged from the water right in front of her. He wrapped his arms around her waist once more, and kissed her.</p>
<p>She wrapped her arms around his neck and held him close.</p>
<p>After a moment or so, of his warm lips on hers, she pulled away. Katara examined his sharp features, and she caressed the side of his face.</p>
<p>She thought about how much she didn’t want to leave him, and how she’d never stopped thinking about him for the past few years, and now he was here, in her arms…only for him to inevitably slip away once more.</p>
<p>Zuko didn’t need to hear her speak to know what she was thinking.</p>
<p>“No, Katara. Don’t think about that.” Zuko spoke softly, as if he could read her mind.</p>
<p>“I’m here.” He pulled her close, into an embrace.</p>
<p>They stayed like that for awhile.</p>
<hr/>
<p>“What are you writing?” Zuko badgered her.</p>
<p>They were sitting on the lake shore, their loose clothes clung to their slightly damp bodies. Zuko sat with his legs sprawled in front of him, and his hands were pressed into the sand behind him. Katara’s head rested on his lap as she scribbled something into her journal.</p>
<p>Katara didn’t reply to Zuko’s inquiry.</p>
<p>He reached for the journal, but Katara sat up sharply and dodged the notebook away from his fingertips.</p>
<p>“Zuko.” She scoffed.</p>
<p>“Can’t I read something you’ve written?” Zuko looked at her, the blue in her eyes was faint in the moonlight, and the lake water maximized the size of curls in her hair.</p>
<p>“Read my columns in the city’s newspaper then.” Katara wrote a few last words on the page.</p>
<p>“Come on…” He begged, like a child.</p>
<p>She looked up to him. The reason she didn’t want to read it, was because it was about him. It was a poem she wrote about him, and this moment. Seeing the look of desperation on his face, she knew she couldn’t say no.</p>
<p>“Ok, ok, fine.” She adjusted herself in her seat.</p>
<p>She scooted closer to him. Katara swore his body emitted heat, too, and she was cold.</p>
<p>Zuko smiled softly.</p>
<p>“It’s a poem.” She announced.</p>
<p>He nodded.</p>
<p>She cleared her throat as an exaggeration, it received a ruffle in her hair from Zuko.</p>
<p>“On with it.” He snickered.</p>
<p>Katara glimpsed at him once more, before returning her eyes to the lines of her notebook.</p>
<p>“<em>Shades of ember in his eyes,</em></p>
<p>
  <em>The small waves kiss the shoreline.</em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>In his arms I’m finally sure,</em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>that life is worth it,</em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>and that I am truly alive rather than merely existing.</em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>The moonlight beams onto us from a faraway place,</em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>and although far, if I were there</em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>I’d love him all the same.</em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>Like the sun rises at dawn,</em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>and the moon appears at dusk,</em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>my love for him will be consecutive—</em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>it will rise each day with the moon, sun, and stars.</em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>Years will go by, and it will never falter.</em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>Warm hands and dark hair,</em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>my home—</em>
</p>
<p><em>something that no distance could ever alter.</em>”</p>
<p>Zuko just stares at her, Katara feels embarrassed by his lack of response—<em>maybe she shouldn’t have read it to him.</em></p>
<p>“It’s super cheesy and annoying…” Katara blushed and looked away.</p>
<p>Zuko, pulled her closer to him by the wrist, and he kissed her.</p>
<p>Katara dropped her journal down onto the sand, they wrapped their arms around each other.</p>
<p>He pulled away.</p>
<p>“Sorry, I uh…didn’t know how else to react to that.” Zuko spoke in a low tone.</p>
<p>“That works.” Katara chuckled.</p>
<p>“Can I uh…have a copy of it?” He glanced down to the notebook, before looking back to her.</p>
<p>She just nodded, and laughed a bit. He tucked hair behind her ear, and rested his palm on her cheek.</p>
<p>He couldn’t believe that poem. He always knew she was a talented writer, but for her to write something that beautiful about <em>him</em>, it was mind blowing, unbelievable. He thought about how he didn’t want her to leave, and how her being here with him was everything his heart had ever really longed for. He wondered how her mere presence could make him feel more than he’s ever felt in his entire life. And it was feelings he didn’t want to leave him…for so long he didn’t let himself feel anything. But, with her, he let himself feel anything and everything…and he knew when she left, his heart would sink back into the dark place it had ever since she first left him all those years ago. It was slightly by choice…he just felt so strongly about her, that being without her seemed colorless.</p>
<p>Similarly to how Zuko was able to read Katara’s mind before, Katara knew from the look in his eyes where his thoughts were wandering to.</p>
<p>“No, Zuko.” She wrapped her arms around him.</p>
<p>They laid together on the ground, her head nuzzled into the center of his chest, both of their arms loosely draped around the other.</p>
<p>“I’m here.” She whispered.</p>
<p>They stayed like that for awhile.</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>thank you for reading! i have a few more chapters to post and then it will be over :( thank you all so much for sticking with the story! i hope you enjoyed this chapter &lt;3 have any guesses as to what else z and k will do to 'make up for lost time'?? comment! i wanna hear :D</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0023"><h2>23. Chapter 23</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>“Shit ton of CDs.” Katara placed the various hard plastic disc cases along the shelves of Zuko’s music store.</p>
<p>“Yeah...thanks for helping me restock them. Everything in the punk rock section has been selling so fast.” Zuko glanced over at Katara who would examine each CD in her hand before putting it in its place.</p>
<p>“Anything to spend more time with you.” She placed one last CD on the shelf before walking over to Zuko and loosely wrapping her arms around him from the back. She pressed her cheek against his shirt.</p>
<p>He spun around and wrapped his arms around her. He rested his head atop hers for a moment. Her scent lingered in his nose. Every Breath You Take by The Police played through the speakers around the store. The moment was still.</p>
<p>Neither Katara or Zuko wanted this moment to end, hell, Katara’s time in town to end. It was through this embrace and their other time spent together that they were able to at least pretend that their time together was ever lasting. ‘Pretending’ wasn’t enough for either of them, but they still said nothing about it to each other. They were both so selfless—so wrapped up in what the other person wanted, that they didn’t stop to think what might be the right decision overall…and that maybe it was them staying together, to hell with where, was the right choice for both of them. They were so worried about each other’s well being and happiness that they were blind to what would really make the other happy—being together, wherever that may be. Katara’s poem rang true in the fact that no matter how far apart they were from each other, they would always somehow be tethered to one another through the forces that be. But that didn’t mean they should broaden the distance when they don’t have too…and both of them knew deep, deep down their jobs and comfortable current lives weren’t as important as being present in each other’s lives. </p>
<p>A ring from the bell at the door could be heard, alerting everyone inside that another customer was entering.</p>
<p>Zuko and Katara broke the embrace.</p>
<p>“Wanna finish up this last box?” Zuko rose an eyebrow before brushing past her.</p>
<p>“Yeah, of course.” She smiled, and collected a few cassette cases in her hands.</p>
<p>She approached a shelf nearby and began to restock.</p>
<p>Suddenly, she heard a familiar voice,</p>
<p>“Zuko?!”</p>
<p>She couldn’t exactly decipher where she knew the voice from, but she turned around in Zuko’s direction, and saw someone she hadn’t seen since high school—Mai.</p>
<p>Her heart raced at the sight, she almost dropped the remaining cassettes in her hand.</p>
<p>The pair embraced, and Katara felt her skin crawl…but at the same time, a thought occurred to her.</p>
<p>It was inevitable—as of right now—that they’d have to part ways at the end of the week. Katara would return to the city, and Zuko would stay here. There was no way around it, and Katara wanted Zuko to be happy. She wondered if Mai could help do that. Before she could elaborate further on the thought, she heard Zuko,</p>
<p>“Katara’s actually in town, too.”</p>
<p>She placed her last item on the shelf, before turning in their direction once more.</p>
<p>“Oh…hi Katara. Nice to see you again.” Mai’s tone was unenthused, as Katara had remembered.</p>
<p>Katara took a deep breath.</p>
<p>“Nice to see you! I’m actually gonna take off, I got places to be and I’m not here for very long…so, I’ll let you guys catch up.” Katara turned her back before she could see either of their reactions.</p>
<p>
  <em> She hated this…every second of it.</em>
</p>
<p>But she reminded herself that it was for Zuko.</p>
<p>She exited the store and didn’t look back, she knew if she thought about it more she’d have second thoughts.</p>
<p>
  <em>It’s what’s best for Zuko.</em>
</p>
<p>She began walking down the block.</p>
<p>
  <em> It’s what’s best for Zuko. It’s what’s best for—</em>
</p>
<p>“The fuck, Katara?”</p>
<p>She turned around quickly, the drizzle from the gloomy end of December weather clung to her eyelashes and jacket.</p>
<p>“What?” She replied.</p>
<p>“I thought we were hanging out for the rest of the day…why’d you uh…do that?” Zuko stood motionless, his hands shoved in either of his pockets.</p>
<p>“I just thought…you might want to see Mai—“</p>
<p>“I don’t really care about Mai—“</p>
<p>“I thought it’d be good for you to have somebody when I leave.” She spoke it a bit loud, and stood up straight.</p>
<p>He stood for a moment, his brow furrowed, his mouth slightly agape.</p>
<p>“Katara, I only wanna be with you.”</p>
<p>She processed the sentence, before feeling frustrated and angry.</p>
<p>“This was a horrible idea.” Katara threw her hands in the air and then buried her face into the sleeve of her jacket.</p>
<p>“Spending all this time together will only make goodbye harder.” She looked to him. His eyes had softened as opposed to only a few moments ago, and his hands were outstretched—as if to catch Katara if she were to burst.</p>
<p>“Well, what do you think we should have done?” Zuko stepped closer.</p>
<p>“We shouldn’t have acted so stupid.”</p>
<p>“What do you suppose we do now?”</p>
<p>“Why are you asking me all the questions?” Her frustrations were becoming more prominent.</p>
<p>“What do you want?” He just continued.</p>
<p>“Hell, Zuko, I want to be with you! I don’t want this to be over. I love you!” Her voice was raised.</p>
<p>Zuko stood, his eyes examined her fragile state.</p>
<p>“I love you, too.”</p>
<p>“Please…come with me…” Her heart raced, knowing the request was selfish. She placed her hand against his cheek.</p>
<p>“Katara, you know I can’t.” Zuko hated that he couldn’t do anything, it made his stomach hurt.<span class="Apple-converted-space"> She removed her hand from his face.</span></p>
<p>“Then…this isn’t healthy. Seeing each other and ignoring the fact that we’re leaving each other again isn’t good for either of us. I say…we don’t see each other until Suki and Sokka’s New Year’s party. We say our goodbyes there, and…leave it at that.” Katara took a few steps away.</p>
<p>“But…Katara, come on, there’s gotta be another way…” He reached for her as she opened the door to her car.</p>
<p>“You asked what I want…and this…this is what I want. It’ll be best for both of us, you know that deep down—“</p>
<p>“Just like last time, huh? How you thought stepping out of my life completely would be best for both of us—“</p>
<p>“And it probably was! You admitted yourself it would have been a disaster if we dated back then, we were both hurting and it wouldn’t of worked out.” Katara’s stare at Zuko was intense, and it wasn’t angry, it was melancholic.</p>
<p>“I’ll see you at the party, ok?” She sat down in the driver’s seat of her car and slammed the door after her.</p>
<p>Zuko stood frozen on the side walk, the cool drizzle formed beads in his hair, and both of his hands were clenched into fists.</p>
<p>He stared at Katara’s car as it backed away from the parking spot and disappeared down the street.</p>
<p>Zuko hated this feeling, and found it painfully familiar.</p>
<hr/>
<p>“Katara, your boss is on the phone.” Gran Gran peeked her head into the living room, holding the telephone in her hands with the speaking end covered.</p>
<p>Katara looked up from her book and got up from the sofa to take the call.</p>
<p>“Katara! How’s the best columnist on my staff?!” Bato, the editor and chief at the newspaper, greeted Katara warmly on the phone.</p>
<p>“I’m doing…pretty good. How did you like the piece I sent?” Katara fidgeted with the telephone cord.</p>
<p>“Loved it. Published it. And guess what?” Bato’s voice was full of excitement.</p>
<p>“Published? Already? You didn’t tell me—“</p>
<p>“Published it yesterday morning, your story made the front page!” Bato didn’t let her absorb the thought.</p>
<p>Her cheeks turned bright red at the thought of the article being read by thousands of people. Bato usually told Katara when he would publish her work. She was overwhelmed with surprise and a little discomfort. The column was about Zuko and his music store. Katara loved the idea, even after Zuko said it maybe wasn’t the best article she could come up with. She wrote the piece and sent it to Bato for review, she wasn’t thinking it would be published for awhile. Zuko didn’t even know about the piece at all.</p>
<p>“Are you close with this…Zuko? The music store owner?” Bato didn’t noticed Katara’s sudden silence.</p>
<p>“Yeah, yeah…we’re close.” Katara shook her head and chuckled.</p>
<p>“Well, go find him and give him my number! You know that buzzing music store downtown—two stories, has live performances, and a whole fandom of its own? It’s called Strawberry Fields Records after that Beatles song?”</p>
<p>“Of course, that place is, like, legendary.”</p>
<p>“Well…get this. The owner’s getting tired of the music store business and is taking a bunch of the money he’s made to start his own music production company. He called me up, asking about the article, and was wondering if Zuko wanted to take over the store for him. He thinks he’s more than capable of doing so, and really wants to meet him. The guy was having trouble finding someone he deemed ‘capable’ and was planning on just shutting the place down.” Bato explained the situation to Katara.</p>
<p>Katara couldn’t believe what she was hearing. She had a hard time containing her excitement.</p>
<p>“Bato, that’s amazing! I’ll…I’ll let him know right away.” Katara smiled and gripped the phone tightly.</p>
<p>“Do you think he’d want to do that? If so, have him call me, and the guy wants to schedule an interview with him in the new year.”</p>
<p>“I’m not sure…if he’d…I don’t know, he really likes it here. He’ll probably have to think about, but I’ll have him call you soon.”</p>
<p>“Great. Also, awesome work on that column, Katara. I can’t wait to see what else you do…you’ll be giving me a run for my money here sometime soon…I feel it.”</p>
<p>“Thank you, Bato. Thank you, thank you.” Katara had tears in her eyes.</p>
<p>“Of course, have a good holiday, kiddo.” He hung up the phone.</p>
<p>Katara dropped the phone to the floor.</p>
<p>“Be careful, Katara!” Gran Gran squatted down to the floor and picked up the phone.</p>
<p>“Gran Gran, it’s the best news, it’s the greatest news…I have to…I have to—“</p>
<p>“What’s going on?” Gran Gran stood with wide eyes and a messy apron from the preparation of dinner.</p>
<p>She ran toward the back door, and grabbed her jacket.</p>
<p>“It’s Zuko…he’s been offered an amazing opportunity in the city. I have to go tell him! Right now!” Before Gran Gran could answer, Katara was out the door and in her car.</p>
<p>She pulled out of her driveway and looked at the time.</p>
<p><em> 7:30, That was about the time Zuko went to help Iroh at the Dragon, </em>Katara noted.</p>
<p>Katara raced through town, going above the speed limit (which she never did) and holding onto the steering wheel so tight her hands began to get sore.</p>
<p>Many thoughts rushed through her head, she wondered if Zuko would even accept the offer. It was hard for her to merely wrap her head around the thought that he could possibly go to the city with her, that he could own that music store, that they could potentially finally be together. </p>
<p>She pulled into a parking spot at the Dragon. She exited from the car, the weather was still sleeting. As she wrapped her hand around the door handle, she glanced through the slightly fogged up window. Zuko sat at a booth, and he wasn’t alone.</p>
<p>Mai sat next to him, and Iroh poured each of them a cup of tea. They were laughing. They were all happy.</p>
<p>Katara took a step away from the door.</p>
<p>It was from that short gaze into the store that Katara realized, she couldn’t do it, she couldn’t tell him, not here, not now, maybe not ever. Zuko had a reason to stay here, and it was Iroh, and perhaps Mai—she wasn’t sure about that. But, there were some things Katara knew Zuko prioritized more than others, and he wouldn’t leave Iroh, even with how great this opportunity was.</p>
<p>As she continued to walk backward toward her car, she looked out at the three of them, and wondered if she should bring up the call to Zuko at all, maybe it was better to keep it from him…she didn’t know.</p>
<p>She got back into her car and took her car phone off the hook. She called Suki with tears in her eyes.</p>
<p>“Hello?” Suki answered the phone.</p>
<p>Katara sat in the parking lot, looking out at the glow of the Dragon’s neon sign.</p>
<p>“Suki, I-I need to talk to you.” Katara’s voice cracked.</p>
<p>“Oh, babe, Katara, what is it? Are you alright?” Suki’s tone fell into concern.</p>
<p>“Yeah…I just…I’m sitting in the Dragon parking lot. I was gonna tell Zuko something—“</p>
<p>“I thought you weren’t seeing Zuko until tomorrow at the party?”</p>
<p>“Well, I…so…I wrote my column for the paper about him and his music store, and then my boss published it without telling me, and I guess it was a hit. Then, the owner of Strawberry Fields Records called the newspaper and asked about Zuko and asked if he’d be willing to take over the store for him. So I was coming to tell Zuko and then—“</p>
<p>“THE Strawberry Fields Records?! What!? Katara—“</p>
<p>“So I came here to t-tell Zuko and he’s sitting in there looking all cuddled up with Mai and laughing with Iroh and I just—“</p>
<p>“Katara, you gotta tell him.”</p>
<p>Katara said nothing, she felt tears tickle her cheeks. She couldn’t exactly pinpoint why it was so hard for her to walk in there and tell him. She knew it had to do with guilt, how could she pull Zuko away from Iroh? Would this opportunity really make his life any better than it already is?</p>
<p>“Katara? Are you there?”</p>
<p>“Yeah, Suki I-I—“</p>
<p>“Ok, fuck it, come over here right now.”</p>
<p>Katara was surprised at the request.</p>
<p>“W-What?”</p>
<p>“Just come over here before you do something stupid, ok? Leave, and come here, right now.” Suki hung up.</p>
<p>Katara glanced at the phone, suspicious about the sudden change of direction.</p>
<p>Nonetheless, she put her car into drive, and made her way from the Dragon to Suki and Sokka’s.</p>
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